Redemption The Beginning
by UncleJarod
Summary: This is a prequel to a very dark fic about Jarod and Lyle... Parker catches up with Jarod in New York. Be warned... things get nasty in later Chapters. Chapter 7 is up! Sorry about the wait. This is the final chapter!
1. Chap 1

Disclaimer: Sigh Here we go... We do not own the Pretender, or any realted topic or cahracter... yada yada yada.

Authors note: This is co-written by Jaccione and Onisius. We hope you enjoy, and please leave a reveiw, we will give you some PEZ if you do :p

Chapter one...

Jarod was just exiting the chocolate shop, he had been delighted by what he had found inside. After spending a lot of the Centre's money on every type of chocolate he could find, he decided that the chocolate cherries were the best. Walking down the street, bags bulging with chocolates, he could not have been happier.

Biting into another cherry, he was thinking about the selection of chocolates that he might send to Miss Parker. He had finally made his mind up on a chocolate bunny, he only hoped it wouldn't melt before it got to her.

Miss Parker had flown to New York City to spend the weekend shopping. After all the false leads on boy-wonder, she thought that she deserved a break.

She had spent the last hour in a Versace store. She had seen this beautiful gown that she could wear to her father's annual Christmas ball at the end of the year. After she had finally finished in the Versace store, Miss Parker walked out only to duck back through the door as she saw the one and only pain the arse, franken boy, walk by with both hands filled with bags.

Once he had walked past, apparently unaware that he had been seen, Miss Parker slowly crept back onto the open street and discreetly followed him.

Jarod was enjoying the warmth of the sunshine and the bustle of the city. He didn't get to New York very often and he loved it.

Miss Parker, walked a good distance behind the man, his hand kept on dipping into one of the bags his other hand held and bringing out something that he would eat.

He made his way slowly through the crowds enjoying the window shopping, grabbing another cherry. What he really needed was a coffee to go with it. With that in mind, he decided to stop at a street stall and ordered himself a latté.

Miss Parker paused in an alley way between two tall buildings, watching Jarod order a coffee. She could go for a scotch right now but she stayed hidden until the pretender started to walk again.

The coffee vendor handed him the coffee, he shifted the now much emptier bag to his other hand and paid the man. He smiled as he thought how much pleasure he got out of spending Centre funds, and told the man to keep the change. It was a $50 note.

Miss Parker continued to walk behind Jarod as he took his coffee and headed further up the street.

Jarod grabbed the coffee and moved on. It was time he started moving. He had been here for almost a week, and as much as he loved it, the pretend was over and he had places to be.

He would retrieve his things from the hotel, and then make his way to Grand Central Station where the DSA player was safely ensconced in a locker, then he would catch the first interstate train he could find.

Miss Parker watched as Jarod entered a hotel. The doorman greeted him with a smile as he held the doors open for the guest. Miss Parker gasped slightly as she saw that it was the same god damn hotel she was staying at!! Since when does Jarod stay at $500 plus a night hotels?

Jarod made his way to the penthouse. It wasn't often he indulged like this. But the pretend had required him to exude a certain level of affluence, and it was nice to be spoiled. He would send a copy of the bill to the Centre, after he was gone of course.

_The god damn penthouse?!_ Miss Parker had been furious when the stuttering clerk had informed her that the penthouse had been rented out, against her wishes to have it reserved for her. The lab rat had taken her room!

He threw himself onto the bed and pulled the tie off. He looked longingly at the Jacuzzi and debated whether he should indulge just one last time.

He finally decided that it was probably better to get going. There would be other times; he rather liked playing the rich socialite.

Miss Parker quickly made her way to her room to drop off her bags. She took a guess that Jarod would be in his room for at least an hour before he left finally, if he was going to leave for another pretend this soon. Grabbing a staff member, who seemed to be on his way to delivering food to another customer, on her way back to his room. She took him up to the penthouse and ordered him to knock on the door.

"Room service sir."

Jarod looked up from his packing, he hadn't ordered anything. He moved over to the door and opened it. Perhaps they wanted to clean, it was almost his checkout time.

The young man stood out side the room, holding the handle to a cart with sweets on it. "Sir. The manager has sent up complimentary sweets."

"Ahh, I didn't order anything, but... well, if that's the case, thank you."

Yes, he would have to live the high life more often; it sure beat sleeping in abandoned warehouses. He handed the man a $100 note as a tip and started feasting on some of the goodies. Jarod took the cart from the man, turning his back on the door, focused completely on the veritable treasure that was in front of him.

Just as the door was thrown shut, Miss Parker silently slipped into the room. Jarod had his back turned to her, starting to eat the food. She stood next to the door and quietly slid the lock into place, leaving Jarod no where to run.

He placed a liquor soaked strawberry into his mouth, it was sensational! Who would have ever thought of soaking fruit in liquor. Jarod was still amazed at the volume of things that he had not tried. He really should try a pretend as a dessert chef, there would be all kinds of delights he could discover.

Those strawberries looked delicious. She hadn't eaten since last night. Sneaking up behind the involved man, Miss Parker reached around him and stole a strawberry from the cart.

Jarod froze as he saw an arm come from behind him. He closed his eyes and breathed heavily of her perfume.

Bringing the fruit into her mouth, Miss Parker spoke around the delicious dessert. "You know Jarod, you shouldn't open the door unless you are expecting someone."

He turned around, a smile dying on his lips.

Miss Parker grabbed her gun from its holster and took off the safety aiming it at his heart.

He looked at her and watched as she pulled her gun, aiming it at his heart. He put his hand up, holding a strawberry and offered it to her. "C'mon Parker, we both know you are not going to use that in here, too much noise. Have a strawberry, they really are delicious. How did you find me?"

A cold dangerous smile covered her face slowly. Reaching into her jacket pocket, she pulled out a silencer and quickly screwed it on. "I came prepared this time rat."

Jarod blanched, but he still didn't think that she would do it. "We both know you aren't going to kill me. Why don't you just put it away and join me for dessert?" Jarod was trying to remain calm.

_Over confident arsehole!_ Miss Parker ran the end of the silencer over his face, bringing it back slightly, she swung down, using the gun to collide with the side of his face. "Don't tell me what I will and won't do!"

His head swung to the side and he fell onto one knee, holding his face, as much in surprise and outrage than in hurt. "Miss Parker..."

_That will teach him_. Bringing out a pair of handcuffs, she threw them at his feet. "Cuff yourself."

He started to struggle to his feet, the gun was aimed at him again, but he froze as cuffs were thrown at his feet. He looked at them and then back at her. "No." He started to rise again.

"Excuse me?" Miss Parker said in surprise, "No?"

"No. I am not going back."

"Who said I was taking you back? Now cuff yourself."

"What?" He was really confused now. She looked as if she really wanted to kill him. He looked back down at the cuffs, genuinely afraid of her.

Seeing his hesitation, Miss Parker spoke again, "Don't make me tell you again, now cuff yourself."

He was thinking about if he could escape without hurting her when she spoke again. He picked them up and locked one bracelet around his left wrist. He had to make a move now.

"The other to the bed frame."

"What?"

"Hands over your head." Miss Parker ordered without lowering her aim.

He looked at the bed and then back to her, unsure of what he had heard.

"Do it!" Miss Parker raised her voice. "Now! To the bed, hands over your head. You're supposed to be a genius, what is there not to understand about the order?"

He got to his feet and moved over to the bed, not at all sure about what was going on here. Wiping blood from his lip, he sat down on the bed, looking at her.

Raising her gun to his head, Miss Parker just raised an eyebrow.

"Miss Parker. You don't want to do this. Please."

"Yes I do. Do it now, rat." _I hate it when he begs_.

Finally he laid himself down and placed his hands over his head, closing his eyes for what he knew was coming next.

"You can do it yourself wonder boy. Now reach over with your left hand and cuff your right wrist with the spare bracelet." _I'm not getting close to him until he is secure._

For a brief moment he considered refusing to do it. He had nothing on him he could use to pick the locks. So he would be at her mercy, but when he opened his eyes and saw the look on her face, he thought he better not push her anymore. Instead he moved over to the edge of the bed, perhaps he might be able to reach something in the bedside table if he was given the chance.

"No franken-boy. In the middle. It's a big bed, wouldn't want you falling off of the edge and accidentally knocking things into your hands and remember, hands well and truly over your head."

Jarod sighed and shifted himself back into the centre of the bed. He gave her one last pleading look, but realized that she was in full ice-queen bitch mode. He raised his hands and locked the second cuff in place. The sound of the lock loud in the quiet room. He knew he was in big trouble now.

Slowly walking over to the bed, Miss Parker climbed on it and shifted towards the trapped rat. Without lowering the gun, she reached over with her left hands and tightened the cuffs until she heard it click into the next notch, cutting the tender flesh around the man's wrist. Moving to the other one, she did the same. When she was satisfied that he wasn't going to get out, she climbed back off of the king size bed.

Jarod closed his eyes. Damn, she locked the cuffs even tighter, there was no chance of him slipping out of them now.

With a smile on her face, Miss Parker ignored the cuffed man and made her way over to the sweets cart that the worker had with him when she dragged him up to get into the room.

"Miss Parker..."

Grabbing a strawberry, she bit into it savouring the taste. She ignored the man when he had said her name, just taking another bite of the fruit.

He raised his head, watching her eating his strawberries. Perhaps he could talk his way out of this. He knew somewhere deep down he could reach her.

"You know, these are quite nice. Too bad you're cuffed to the bed, otherwise you could have had some with me."

"Miss Parker... I bought you a present." He bit back the smartarse reply he wanted to make to that comment.

"I bet you did. What is it? Some gruesome secret about Lyle? Or maybe, another medical file about my mother being bashed, or maybe it could be another bout of the flu?"

"And you could bring me some, I am quite hungry." Jarod tried before responding to her remarks. "That's not fair. You know that I..."

"Sure. How about a strawberry?" Miss Parker asked kindly, interrupting his speech.

"That was a long time ago. I never meant..." He looked at her suspiciously, "Yes please."

Picking up the bowl of strawberries, Miss Parker placed the gun on the cart and walked over to him. Climbing onto the bed next to him, she took one between her fingers and held it just out of reach. "You know..." Miss Parker sat back away from him.

He tried to shift himself into a sitting position. Damn her... she was teasing him.

"I don't think you deserve these. Are you hungry enough to beg for some food?" She asked coldly. She was in the mood to play games with him this time.

Jarod watched her. Damn it! She was enjoying this but he was not going to give her the satisfaction. He turned his head away, not looking at her. "Why don't you just call the Centre and be done with it? I don't want to play your stupid games." He thought about the chocolate bunny sitting in the bag, thought about the look on her face when she opened it. Now he was wondering why he even bothered.

"And you think I wanted to play your games?" She hissed angrily.

The cuffs were starting to bite into his wrists, and he really just wanted to get out of here. "I never hurt you and I never lied to you. Painful as some of those revelations might have been, you deserved the truth. We have both been lied to, too many times."

"Since when do you know what I deserve? And you have hurt me to many times to count!" Placing the strawberries next to his legs, she got off of the bed in a fury. "Why couldn't you have left those secrets alone?! What made you think that I wanted to know what really happened to my mother? Or who my brother was or that I had a brother?! What gave you that right to dig it up?"

"The truth. We, you... you can't live your life clinging to lies."

"Why not? You did."

"What?" Jarod was really angry now. He hauled himself into a semi-sitting position. He wanted to get up and shake her, shake some sense into her.

"Your parents." Was all she said as she got her gun and went to leave the room.

He ignored the pain in his arms as he moved his body as far forward as the restraints allowed. He kept quiet. As much as he wanted to respond, if she left the room he might have half a chance to get out of these damned cuffs.

Walking into the impressive bathroom, Miss Parker slammed the door shut. She needed to think, what was she going to do? She couldn't keep him here, she would have to get him to the Centre soon. Her head shot up. Shit! She thought. It looked as if he was leaving today. That meant she only had half an hour to inform the hotel that she planned to keep this room another night. Getting up, she went back into the main room.

He looked at the slammed door. He tested the fittings on the bed, but the welds were solid, and it was too sturdy for him to snap. He twisted and used his foot to slide open the bedside table. He was trying to be quiet, but his foot located a pen and he was trying to grip it with his toes.

Miss Parker walked back into the room to see Jarod twisted in an unnatural looking way using his foot to try and pick up a pen. Walking over to him, she slammed the drawer shut hard on his bare foot.

Finally he got the pen and looked up with a guilty look as she walked back into the room. "Arhhh... You..." He was breathing heavy, his foot throbbing. He wanted desperately to reach down and rub some of the pain away.

Grabbing his already bruising foot, she swung his legs around and shut the drawer fully. "Don't try that again." She threatened as she continued toward the phone.

He turned his lip up at her in a snarl but as she moved to the phone, the anger turned to fear. "Just how do you think you are going to get me out of here, without people noticing?"

Ignoring his question, she picked up the phone and dialled a few numbers, waiting patiently for the other end to pick up.

"Miss Parker." He hated to beg, but he couldn't face going back. He always promised himself that he would never hurt her, but if he could get away, if he could just knock her out, without causing any real damage. He slipped into SIM mode, seeing if he could pretend a way out. If he could just get to his belt, perhaps he could undo the cuffs while she was on the phone, with her back turned.

Shooting a glance at the pretender, Miss Parker spoke when the phone picked up. "This is the penthouse. I would like to further our stay by two days, if not more. I will notify you when we are ready to leave. Another thing, have the concierge bring me a pair of pantyhose, any sort." With that she hung up and walked towards Jarod once more.

Jarod's heart sank at those words. He stopped in mid-motion as she approached. What the hell could she want with pantyhose?

Noticing that he was trying to get to his belt, she lent over and unclipped it, drawing it out of its place around his waist. Throwing it across the room, she grabbed a strawberry from the bowl that still rested by his legs.

"You planning to put a show on for me?"

"In your dreams rat boy." She hissed.

He sighed as his last chance went flying across the room.

Sitting next to the sad looking man, she bit into another strawberry, "You know these are really good."

"You know, it's polite to share, and this is MY room after all."

"Technically, it's whoever's room you are pretending to be, and you're not him, so it's not your room."

Perhaps if he appealed to her more playful side, he might have half a chance, somewhere underneath was his childhood friend. "Well, I could still pretend if you like. And it is my room until I leave, I am who I pretend to be."

"And who would that be this time? Does this pretend Jarod have a family he knows and sees?" She asked coldly.

Jarod shifted uncomfortably, jangling the chains between his wrists. "Are these really necessary?"

"Is the pope catholic?"

"Can't blame me for trying. No, he didn't have a family. He was a rich playboy... why do I even bother? It's not like you really care. Why don't you just call for the sweepers?"

"I want Sam. Might take a few days to get here, being on leave and all. But relax wonder boy. He will be called."

"What, no jet or helicopter? You can't just expect to keep me here for a few days!!!"

"Why not? I'm sure the Centre is funding this little trip of yours."

"How will you explain a man chained to the bed... well yes that's true, it's only fair that the Centre pay to help make up for the suffering it has caused."

With that, there was a knock on the door. Placing a hand over his mouth to prevent him from doing anything he would regret, Miss Parker called out to wait. With her hand still over the man's mouth, she searched the drawer until she found a pair of socks. Stuffing them into his mouth she used his discarded tie on the bed to secure the gag. Getting up she went to the door, hiding her gun on the other side of her.

Jarod's head swung around only to find his mouth stuffed with some cloth, and his own tie tied tightly around his head to keep it in place. He started bucking his body and pulling himself towards the bed head to try and get the gag out of his mouth.

He was having trouble breathing and as he contorted his body, his hands started working on the knot at the back of his head.

Miss Parker swung her head around at the noise, "Stop moving Jarod, or I swear to god I'll shoot you somewhere you really want left intact!"

But the silk was slippery and it was tied too tight. Instead he tried to pull it down away from his mouth, his arms were aching, but he stopped what he was doing at the sound of her voice. He forced himself to relax, breathing heavily through his nose, Sliding back down onto the bed in a more comfortable position for his arms.

Once he stilled somewhat, she opened the door and stuck her head out.

"Here is what you asked for ma'am." The young man poked his head around the corner of the door to see a man tied to the bed and gagged. Looking back at the woman in fear, Miss Parker tried to stay calm and not shoot him. Taking the pantyhose from him she tipped him and quickly explained.

"Hubby there has a fetish for being tied up. Don't ask me about it, I don't know what it does to get him off, but if it works, it's good for me." Parker winked at the bellboy and then she smiled one of her most charming smiles.

Jarod tried desperately to plead with the young man with his eyes, this could be his chance. But his heart plummeted to his feet with those words. He shot a look of pure hatred at her, trying to convey all the things he was unable to say.

The young man smiled slightly once he realized what was happening, looking Miss Parker up and down quickly, he flushed and turned to leave.

Slamming the door, Miss Parker locked it again, "I thought that he was going to jerk off right there." She growled.

Jarod tried to scream that he was a prisoner, he needed help, but nothing more than a muffled mmm got past the gag.

Opening the package of pantyhose, Miss Parker walked to the end of the bed and reached up for the pretender's legs.

He tried to back up, kicking out at her; there was no way this was happening.

Pulling him down hard until she saw his arms pulled taut, his muscles flexing in his arms at their treatment, Miss Parker managed to tie the kicking legs down. She made sure that the knots were tight and would not come undone, they were as tight as humanly possible, marking his ankles red around the bindings.

He was pleading around the gag. She could not do this to him. He struggled with everything he had, but soon he found that he could no longer move, his arms stretched tightly above him.

Miss Parker walked once again to the food cart, lifting up a lid on one of the plates she found chocolate devils cake. Taking a piece of the guilty looking cake, she went to sit beside the pretender again.

He looked at her anxiously, testing the ties on his legs while she wasn't watching.

Taking a bite, she picked up the strawberries that had spilled out of the bowl when Jarod decided to wrestle on the bed and placed them on the ground. Once she finished the cake and was finally full, she placed the plate next to the strawberries on the ground and lent closer to Jarod. "Do you want the gag out?"

He nodded.

"Will you behave and not yell or do anything so foolish?" She asked again with raised eyebrows.

He closed his eyes, and then opened them, meeting hers, and nodded again. Anything to get rid of the damned thing.

"Do you promise me Jarod?" She asked sweetly. She was enjoying the hell out of this.

He looked at her, trying to show her how he felt with his eyes, but finally he nodded again.

As much as she loved tormenting him with the freedom from the gag, she knew if she went on he was only going to get pissed off. Reaching over and behind his head, she struggled with the tight knot. Sighing when she realized she wasn't going to undo it, she got up and started to walk around the penthouse.

Jarod became frantic, struggling as much as he could with his ability to move so restricted. So she was just playing with him!!

Seeing another tie thrown over his open duffle bag, she grabbed it and placed it at the foot of the bed before walking off again.

His eyes followed her around the room, unsure at what she was up to now, but he knew it wouldn't be good for him. Real fear crept in. This was no game, and his freedom was at stake, perhaps even his life. He had to find some way to get out of this, but right now his options were very limited. He would have to let her think she had subdued him, lull her into a false sense of security. A couple of days, there would be an opportunity soon. She couldn't keep him tied to the bed the entire time. He would need the bathroom, and he would need to eat.

Miss Parker finally came back to the bed, holding a sharp hunting knife in her hand, raising her eyebrow again, she looked down at the man and asked, "Now why would you have this with you?"

TBC....


	2. Chap 2

Disclaimer: Sigh Here we go... We do not own the Pretender, or any related topic or character... yada yada yada.

Authors note: This is co-written by Jaccione and Onisius. We hope you enjoy, and please leave a review, we will give you some PEZ if you do :p

Chapter two...

Jarod's heart stopped beating for a moment as he looked at the knife. She wouldn't hurt him, not really hurt him. Would she? But if she could deliver him back to the Centre, knowing what they would do to him there, then really she would be capable of anything. He turned his eyes to hers, trying not to look at the knife, his fists clenching in the cuffs.

Seeing the tension, the fear, she realized that he hadn't clicked as to way she had found the knife and brought it back. Running the blade down his face and down his throat, Miss Parker never once took her eyes from his, enjoying seeing the emotions run across his face like a picture show.

Jarod froze as the knife trailed down his face. He stopped breathing for a moment, holding her eyes with his own. _Please don't do this_, he was thinking. _Please don't... this isn't you..._

"Oh don't wet your pants wonder boy." Miss Parker hissed cruelly as she quickly brought the blade back over to his cheek and slipped it under the tie, twisting it slightly, she pulled hard, cutting the tie from around his face.

Jarod sucked in a relieved breath through his nose and immediately started to push the gag out with his tongue.

Pulling the tie out from under his head, she waited until he worked the sock out from his mouth before she took them too and got off of the bed.

He finally spat the damned thing out, _she could have helped me_, he thought with disgust. He gasped for air and when he finally felt that he could breathe normally again he tried to ask for some water, but his mouth was so dry from the gag that only a croak came out. He tried to swallow, but found he had no saliva and tried to speak again.

"Water... I need water."

"Water? You 'NEED' water?" She asked causally. "I could make you beg like I had to beg for all the information you dangled just out of my reach."

"You b..." But he bit back the insult at the last second, realizing that he was in no position to be aggravating her any further.

Shaking her head slightly, ignoring the insult, she walked over to the cart and searched until she found a few bottles of water and a few bottles of wine under it. Grabbing a bottle she unscrewed the cap and took it back to the bound man.

He tried to work up enough voice to try again. "I always gave you..." He licked his dry lips, eyeing the water. "I never made you beg."

"Only in your world lab rat." She said as she climbed back onto the bed. "Open your mouth," She ordered.

He wanted to tell her to go to hell, but he needed that water. His mouth felt like a desert. The sock had sopped up every single drop of moisture in his mouth He opened his mouth, worried that she now might try and drown him.

"That's a good boy." She said, patronizing the man. Leaning over his body, Miss Parker slowly poured a small amount into his mouth. Only enough to wet his mouth, not even enough to wet his throat or quench his thirst.

He reached his head as forward as he could, chasing the water bottle, but she had only given him a dribble. He sucked it down, but needed more.

"Feel better?" She asked, knowing he was dying for more liquid.

He bit his bottom lip, knowing what she wanted, but he refused to beg, but he needed that water. Finally he decided on a compromise. "Yes."

"Would you like some more Jarod?" She asked sweetly, swallowing a mouthful of the water herself and licking her lips as some of the water spilled from the corner of her mouth.

He eyed the dribble down her chin and realized that he was going to have to play her game. He wouldn't die of thirst, but he wanted it pretty badly, and it wasn't worth his pride to lie here and suffer. "Yes please." He ground out, not looking at her.

"Yes please what, Jarod?" She pushed, she knew he was hating her, and she better pray to god that he didn't get out of his bindings before she had a sweeper team here or she was going to pay hell for this.

He took a deep breath, trying to control his anger. He tested the cuffs again, and again, they weren't going anywhere. "Please Miss Parker, may I have some water?" He kept his tone neutral, not wanting to push her any further.

Smiling a victory smile, she teased a bit more. "No. I don't think you really need it. Do you?" Screwing on the cap, Miss Parker climbed off of the bed.

He looked at her smiling at him and bit down the comment that he wanted to throw at her and gasped out load as she got up from the bed. "Miss Parker... please!" He cried in a strangled tone.

She paused as she heard him almost beg her. Standing with her back to him, she waited to see if there was anything more to come.

He watched her stop. He would kill her for this. Did he really need it that bad? He was in no immediate danger, knowing that she wouldn't go as far as killing him or letting him die, but was foolish pride worth it? "Please..." He said so quietly, he wasn't sure if she would hear, and certain if she did, she would ignore him again.

That soft plea was enough to make Miss Parker realize how desperate he wanted the water. Her two personalities fought each other. The ice queen said no, let him go thirsty, he deserves it after all he has put you through. But the little Miss Parker, her soft side, that the man that was begging always tried to get too, said yes, don't make him suffer like this. She stood still for a few more moments. She hadn't actually expected Jarod to give in and ask in that desperate, sad voice of his.

Jarod finally gave up. Well, if it was going to be like this, so be it. He was not going back, and he would do what he had to make sure of that. If it was war that she wanted, then he could play that too.

Miss Parker started to slowly turn around to face Jarod. She walked over to the bed and climbed back on. Unscrewing the cap, she placed her hand under his head and gently raised it. Miss Parker placed the open bottle of water to his lips, waiting for him to open his mouth.

He fought with himself for a brief moment. He was going to refuse it to prove a point. But good sense won out and he opened his mouth and waited to see if she would tease him again.

Miss Parker saw the fight that went on with him too. They were more alike than each of them would admit. She had what she wanted, he had begged for the water and she wouldn't hold out on the 'reward'. Slowly, careful not to spill too much, she poured the chilled water into his mouth.

Jarod took a quick look at her and then gratefully started gulping the water down, but lying in the position he was, he started coughing and choking, spluttering water all over her suit.

_That's why I lifted your head you idiot! He isn't getting past me. I knew why he did that!_ Miss Parker thought, _Payback for holding out on the water_, and now her suit was covered in water. Pulling away the bottle, she let go of his head, and got off of the bed, putting the bottle on the cart.

Jarod finally got his breath back and realized what he had done.

"No more water for that Jarod. I gave you what you wanted and you spit it on my suit! Never again am I doing something like that for you."

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean." He coughed again, expelling the last of the water from his lungs. "I couldn't help it... if you let me sit up..."

"HA!" Miss Parker laughed. "Nice try. And to think, I actually thought that you needed that water, that I was helping you by giving it to you. All you wanted was to try and get away, to make me mad and to make a mistake. It isn't going to happen!" Parker tried to say angrily, but the hurt she felt showed through some.

"No, Miss Parker, I swear that's not true. I did need that water. That damned sock you stuffed in my mouth..." He looked at her sullenly. "I'm not a liar. I have never lied to you."

"That's not what it looks like to me." Miss Parker all but whispered as she walked over to the phone once more and picked it up, dialling a number, this time never taking her eyes off of the man.

"Who are you calling now? Daddy?" He spat the last word out, knowing how much she would hate having Raines be called her father. He knew it was stupid to antagonize her, but he couldn't stop himself. They did seem to bring the worst out in each other.

"No. Sam." She spat back at him.

"Great." Jarod had many fond memories of Sam, and his 'motivator'. "Why not call Lyle and we can make a party. Get him to bring his jumper cables."

Ignoring his last comment, Miss Parker picked up the phone, "Sam, get your team and an extra team of sweepers to New York City. Hilton hotel. I have the pretender. I want you here A.S.A.P. Am I understood? Then get Willie's team up here if the others are out on re-con!" With that she hung up glaring at Jarod.

She had no intentions of actually making that call. She only wanted to tease him, scare him. Miss Parker so enjoyed seeing the all mighty and powerful, know it all pretender scared. She would prove to that sack of bones Raines, that she could do her job, and do it damn well. It would prove her point more if she brought him in by herself, while on her weekend off.

Jarod listened as he heard his freedom being taken away so casually. "This is wrong. You can't do this."

"Don't tell me what I can and can't do rat."

"I am not a rat!"

"You're a laboratory experiment, 90 of the times they are rats so that makes you one."

"No I'm not. I'm a person who deserves a life. I don't belong to you!" He struggled against his restraints.

"No you belong to Mr Raines, but one day, yes you will belong to me rat." She hissed.

He needed to get out of here now. Now that the Centre knew where they were, it wouldn't be long. "NO! You will have to kill me. I am not going back, I don't belong to anyone and I will scream bloody murder. Everyone in this hotel will know what's happening."

Before Jarod could blink an eye or make do on his threat, Miss Parker reached over to the end of the bed and grabbed the tie she found earlier and the socks from the ground and moved to gag him again.

He bucked violently, shaking his head. She wasn't going to get that back in his mouth.

Garbing the struggling man by his chin, daggling her fingers cruelly into the soft skin, Miss Parker threatened, "I hear anything over a soft talk, I will gag you and tie the tie so tight, they will never get it off. Do you want me to gag you rat?"

Jarod stilled his struggles, looking from her face to the gag, wincing at her fingers digging into his skin. He was trying to assess how serious she was. If he screamed now, would anyone hear him? He was in the penthouse, the only one on the top floor. He doubted that anyone would hear him, and he did not want to endanger anyone else. He didn't want that gag back in, and he realised that she would make good with her threat. He might get another chance later, when room service came, or when they tried to move him, but for the moment, the sensible thing would be to agree with her.

"No, I don't."

Miss Parker stayed over him, still digging her long nails into the already bleeding flesh. Did she really believe him? She moved to place the gag in his mouth anyway, trying to work out if he was telling the truth and just saying that so that he could call out later on.

He opened his mouth slightly, ignoring the stinging from her nails. He closed his eyes and forced himself to relax. Showing her that he wasn't going to resist. She could do what she wanted, he was helpless to stop her anyway. He was conquered for the moment. Let her have her little victory.

Miss Parker saw him giving into her; that was a good enough answer for her. He wasn't going to scream out at the moment. She would just have to call the front desk and give strict orders to not let anyone on this floor unless they say they were sent. No staff, no guests. Parker slowly let go of the man's face and sat back on her heels, watching his reaction.

When he felt her weight move on the bed, he opened his eyes. She was watching him closely. As much as he hated himself for doing it, he said it anyway, "Thank you."

"If I hear you raise your voice even the slightest, the gag will be in and won't be removed until we get to the Centre. Am I understood?"

"Yes." He flushed with anger, but didn't want to push her on this issue. Being tied was bad enough, but being gagged was a nightmare, not to mention dangerous, and he had no desire to die from a sock stuffed down his throat.

"Good." Was all she said as she got off the bed and went back to the cart, taking a mouthful of water from the bottle she had just tried to give to Jarod.

"Why does it always have to be like this between us?"

"Like what?" She hissed.

He was careful to keep his voice low, "We used to be friends."

_Good boy_. She thought when she heard his voice was just under a normal speaking level. "A very long time ago Jarod. Why do you have to always bring it up?"

"Because I never understood what I did to make you hate me so. How long until they get here?"

"The sweepers will be here in a few hours. The jet was all ready to go when I called."

"Can't you just grant me this one thing then. Soon I will be back in that place..."

She knew she shouldn't have given him that information, but he was sounding so sad and defeated.

"I won't cooperate with them."

"Grant you what Jarod?" She asked ignoring the images she had of Jarod hanging from his wrists, being assaulted by the damn jumper cables after one of his refusals.

"Why do you hate me? Why do you do this? Why can't you just let me go? Say I escaped, overpowered you?"

"It's my work Jarod. You know yourself what happens when they have found out you have disobeyed them. And if they knew I just let you go, they will kill me, literally. Are you willing to have that on your conscious?"

"No, but you didn't have to call them, you could have let me go before that." He was angry now, he could feel the minutes ticking by, each one bringing him closer to the Centre.

"If I had let you go before I called them, then you wouldn't have paid! You have hurt me too many times for me to just feel sorry for you and let you go."

"This isn't work. Normal people don't go to work each day to hunt down innocent people."

"I'm not a normal person and you're damn well not innocent rat."

"I have never tried to hurt you, I have only tried to help." A memory floated to the surface of his mind and he couldn't help the smile. "Well, except maybe that time..."

"And have ended up ripping my soul apart, giving me an ulcer... killing my boyfriend!!"

"What?" He paled as she said that, "NO!"

"You heard me Franken boy. You killed him!"

"Your father killed Tommy." His voice was rising, "The Centre killed him. He was my friend."

"You killed him! You tried to 'help' and it got him killed! It was your fault that he was in Blue Cove, your fault that he got to meet me, your fault that they killed him! They killed him because they thought I was going soft! Losing focus! Not trying to catch you!" She cried out, "It was your fault!"

"No!" He shouted back, all reason gone now.

Before she could think, Miss Parker grabbed the sock and shoved it into his mouth. He had broken his word to keep his voice lowered.

Jarod knew the pain of guilt of Thomas' death. He was trying to defend himself when she jumped back on him and starting shoving the sock back in his mouth.

Quickly tying the tie, keeping the knot looser this time, Miss Parker gagged him before leaving the room.

He bucked wildly, fighting her all the way. But it was no use and he watched her back as she slammed the door.

Miss Parker sat in the bathroom, trying not to cry, but was unsuccessful. She didn't blame the Centre for Tommy's death. If only Jarod had kept his god damn nose out of her life, this loving, caring man wouldn't have been 6 foot under. This was all his fault.

Tears started to trickle from his eyes. He knew that he bore some responsibility for Thomas. He could hear her crying in the bathroom and he wanted to apologise. But he had only wanted to make her happy. He knew that he never would be able to and he hated to see her so alone, in so much pain. Thomas was a good man and brought out the best in her, and that's all he ever wanted. He never wanted it to end the way it did. Even after all his years at the Centre, he did not believe them capable of such a thing.

After half an hour, she wiped her eyes, and walked out. He was too quiet for her liking. He lay still on the bed, it looked as if he had been crying too. Why?

He tried again to free himself from the bindings. He rubbed the gag against his outstretched arm, but he couldn't shift it. He watched her carefully as she emerged from the bathroom. She looked defeated and fragile.

Walking slowly over to Jarod, she stretched out and undid the knot, pulling the socks out of his mouth. "Why did you do it?" She asked in a tiny voice.

This was not the Parker he was so familiar with, this was a scared little girl. "Thank you." He stretched his jaw experimentally. "I was angry, I didn't mean to raise my voice. It won't happen again." He knew that was not what she meant, but he didn't trust himself to speak at the moment.

Ignoring his apology, she asked again, "Why did you do it?"

He took a deep breath and looked at her. "I thought he could make you happy. You deserve to be happy."

"Why?" Walking over to the cart, she grabbed the water and brought it back to the bound man.

"Nothing else. It was not some kind of mind game."

Holding on to the water bottle tightly, she asked again, "Why did you want to make me happy?"

He looked at her. How could she not know? How could she not understand?

She could feel the tears growing again, she would not let him see her cry and blinked them back.

He watched her struggle with her emotions. He wished he could get up and put his arms around her. "I'm sorry. I never thought... I didn't want for it to end that way. I just... I couldn't make you happy, and you need someone in your life. Life has to be more than just what the Centre has on offer. Can't you see, they have stolen your life as much as they have mine? The only difference is I know it and you don't."

"Why did you give me the greatest gift then take him away again? I loved him Jarod! God damn it! I loved him and you took him away!!!" She yelled. "You took him away from me Jarod! I loved him and you took him away!" Throwing the water bottle over the top of Jarod and into the wall on the opposite side of the room, she fell to the ground. "They took him away from me." She whispered.

He was desperate to go to her. The chain between the cuffs rattled as he tried once again to free himself. What could he say? He lifted his head and looked at her. "I'm sorry." It seemed so inadequate, but what else was there?

The words were so soft and quiet, Miss Parker thought she had imagined them. Looking up over the bed, she saw him straggling against his bindings to look down at her. Getting up, she walked over to the end of the bed and untied his legs. Walking back to the cart, she took a fresh bottle of water and unscrewed the cap, crawling onto the bed next to him.

Jarod looked up in surprised as she started to untie his legs. He felt it best to keep quiet for the moment, he did not want to upset her again but was disappointed when she made no moves to take the cuffs off.

Watching as Jarod lay still on the bed, he seemed almost afraid to sit up, as if she would rip his legs back down and re-tie them. "Would you like some water?" She asked softly. She was so tired.

"Yes please." It was little more than a whisper.

She waited, he made no move to sit up.

He was too afraid to move but he wanted to reach out and touch her face.

She wasn't going to give him any if he stayed lying, she didn't think her suit would handle another hit of water. "Jarod sit up." She ordered, somewhat softly still, but the ice queen was coming back.

Jarod pulled himself up awkwardly until his body was against the headboard.

Holding the bottle to his lips, she waited until he took the first sip.

He could see her facade slipping back into place, and he wanted to reach her somehow. He drank from the bottle, being very careful this time.

She pulled the water away after he had a few small mouthfuls.

"Better?" She asked, the ice queen was coming back fast.

"Yes, thank you." He ducked his head as he saw his last chances slipping away.

"Why do you try to help me Jarod? After all I have done to you?" She asked after a few moments of silence.

There had to be a way of reaching her. He shook his head. It was so simple Parker, how come she couldn't see it. But he chose the safer path. "You were my friend." He smiled a crooked grin.

"But I'm not now. So why do you still help me, even if your methods are hurtful."

"I don't mean to hurt you, but the truth is painful. Wouldn't you rather know who you really are? Who your mother really was? Even the kind of man your father was? How could you have trusted him?"

"Because he was my father. All I could have done was trust him. And no, I would have rather lived the lie that was my life. It was less painful that way."

"But it wasn't real."

"Neither was your life but I'm sure it was less painful most of the time."

"Less painful?" He couldn't believe what she was saying. "Locked away, believing my parents were dead?"

"There is your lie Jarod."

"What?" He shook his head, not understanding.

"You're a genius. You must have known, even at that age, that if the Centre eliminated your family you would have stayed longer and cooperated better. I'm sure you would have SIMed the possibility that your parents were alive and knew where you were. I know you would have. And yet you choose to ignore it and believe Sydney."

He couldn't believe her. He backed away from her as far as the restraints would allow. He shook his head. "No, that's not true. They told me they died and I believed them. They burned it into my brain for thirty years. How can you be so spiteful?"

"And you're telling me that there wasn't one small part of your brain that knew it was a lie? The truth hurts doesn't it?"

"No, it's not true. I only found out later." He wanted to scream at her, but his eyes flickered over to the tie that was by her side. "They never would have left me there."

"I know you SIMed it! Admit it, you liked living in their lies. You know they left you there."

"No!" He shook his head, tears brimming, remembering those long nights, alone in the cell when he wondered if they had left him there, or perhaps given him away.

"They tried once to rescue you, the Major knew where you were, and yet he never tried again!" She yelled. "I know you SIMed the possibility, I know you knew that it was the most likely scenario. You liked their lies too much to admit it." Parker hissed in a cold, dark, callous voice.

"No, I never knew Catherine, your mother, tried until later." Trying to defend his shattered emotions he hit back the only way he knew how.

"No you didn't, but you SIMed the possibility that they knew where you were and you still denied the facts to yourself! You'd rather believe that they died, than they left you there to rot!" Miss Parker yelled.

"She was ready to give up her life to help me, and now her daughter is trying to take me back. She would be proud of you." The second the words were out of his mouth, he knew he had made a fatal mistake.

She backed off the bed. That had hit her hard. "You bastard!!" She screamed as she pulled out her gun. Grabbing the gag, she wrestled the pretender to shove the sock in his mouth.

Jarod closed his eyes and waited. When the bullet never came, he opened his mouth to apologise only to find the sock shoved back in it.

She was successful, and not bothering to use the tie, she shot his thigh, the bullet leaving a flesh wound.


	3. Chap 3

Disclaimer: Don't own them, and if we did it would still be running new ep's on T.V :p

Authors note: This is co-written by Jaccione and Onisius. Sorry for the beyond long delay, I don't even have any excuses to offer other then I was to caught up in writing to edit and post. Sorry again.

Chapter three…

He screamed in shock as much as pain as the bullet ripped into his leg. Some sound escaped around the gag, but not much.

The cry brought Miss Parker back to reality. She looked at the gun still smoking in her hands to the blood seeping out of his wounded leg, to the tears that come to his eyes.

He looked at her in complete shock. He couldn't believe it. He knew he had gone too far, but she shot him!

She had shot him. She had never hit him before. And in rage. She backed up slightly, her face paling. She had shot him.

The tears started to fall, more from the realisation of what he had done, what she had done, than from the pain. He was breathing heavily and his leg was burning. He moved his head towards his shackled hands and started to pull the gag out.

Looking at the gun, then back to the shocked man, she shook her head slightly before dropping the gun.

He had to stop the bleeding. The wound was not life threatening, but the blood loss could be dangerous.

Miss Parker stared wide eyed at the bleeding man struggling to pull the gag out of his mouth. She took another step back.

Finally the gag was out and he pleaded with her.

"I'm. I'm s-sorry." She whispered as she fought back the tears.

"Miss Parker please... the cuffs... I need to stop the bleeding." He rattled his chained hands. "I swear I won't try to run."

Miss Parker shook her head again and whispered an apology. She didn't even her his plea.

"Please." He could tell she was in shock. He contorted on the bed again, trying to bring his leg up so he could apply some pressure to it.

"I'm s-sorry." She whispered again.

The adrenalin was pumping now and he barely felt the pain, but the bleeding wasn't stopping. "Parker! The cuffs!"

She took one more step back before hitting the door and falling to the ground. Bringing her hands over her ears, burying her head into her knees which were pushed against her chest. "I'm sorry... I'm sorry… I shot you I'm sorry." The yelling and screaming, the cruel words even she hadn't meant to say, the sound of the bullet tearing through his flesh kept replaying. Never had she actually shot him. Never.

Jarod wanted to scream in frustration. Ignoring her, he ripped a pillowcase and tried to attach a tourniquet but he couldn't shift himself to the right angle to get enough pressure.

She was deathly pale by now, shaking as well.

He could feel the effects of the adrenaline wearing off as the pain really started to kick in.

She had never shot him before. She had shot at him but always aimed slightly off so she would not harm him. She had shot him. In cold blood so to say, she shot him in anger. How would he ever forgiver her?

Jarod thought to himself what a fool he was. It always seemed that it came back to the same thing. Him accusing her of being like her father, wishing she was more like her mother. But he knew he had gone too far this time.

Looking at her now, he felt ashamed.

"I'm sorry." She muttered again.

He hung his head and slump back down on the bed. The bleeding had slowed somewhat and it was wisest to try and limit his movements.

Miss Parker sat on the ground shaking. She had shot him. What had she done?

He heard her saying something but couldn't make out the words.

"I'm sorry... I'm sorry. I shot you. I'm sorry. Jarod I'm sorry." She cried softly. He would never forgive her. What had she done?

"Miss Parker, please." He tried one more time. "It wasn't your fault. I need help. I shouldn't have said that. I have no right to judge you, but please, I need your help."

His pleas were slowly getting through to her. The shaking softened some what, and she removed her hands from her ears but didn't not stop apologising. "I'm sorry."

"It's alright, please, just come over here. If you don't want to unlock me, that's fine, but I have to apply pressure to this wound. Please, I need you."

Something seemed to get through to her shaken from. "You need me?" She asked softly, looking up through red puffy eyes. He had never said that before.

"Yes, I need you now. I need you to help me. I need you to go to the bathroom and get some towels. Soak one of them and then bring them to me on the bed. That's a good girl. Can you do that for me? Everything is going to be fine."

Miss Parker slowly nodded. Jarod had said he had needed her, needed her help. He had never before admitted that, at least not to her. Getting up, swaying slightly, she went to the bathroom and did as she was told. Bringing out a wet towel, and a few dry ones, she placed them on the bed next to the bleeding man and backed up. Seeing her gun she slowly picked it up and held it in her hand.

He froze as she picked up the gun. "No we don't need that right now, maybe later. I need you to undo my jeans and pull them down." In another situation this would be everything he could have ever dreamt of. "Then get that wet towel and clean around the wound."

Miss Parker didn't budge, she just stared at the gun, still warm in her hand. She had shot people dead before without blinking, but never Jarod. Some where deep inside her, she knew Jarod was still her friend and it disgusted her that she had shot him in rage.

He watched as she held the gun, it would be so much easier if she just un-cuffed him but he didn't want to push his luck. "Parker."

Looking up when she heard her name, she looked at Jarod expecting him to yell at her. When nothing more come out of his mouth she looked back at the gun, a frown on her face.

"Parker, put that down, and come here, please. I cant do this by myself."

She stared at the gun a moment longer. Jarod's pleas had started to sound desperate, slowly placing the gun on the food cart, she went to the wounded man and unbuttoned his jeans and pulled them down. Grabbing the wet towel she started to wipe the blood away roughly.

He closed his eyes in relief. "Thank you. Now take a clean one and put it on there and press down hard, that's a good girl, you are doing fine."

Miss Parker followed his instructions. It wasn't like she didn't know how to treat a bullet wound, but her brain wasn't working in the same way it normally was. She pressed down on the bleeding wound, pushing with all her weight behind her onto it.

Jarod grimaced and bit back the cry. He could feel the bullet still in there, but Parker was in no shape to take it out. But at least the blood had stopped flowing. He wasn't sure if he should press her, but he figured it couldn't get much worse than it already was. "Parker, that's good. Thank you. But I need you to un-cuffed me please. I need to get the bullet out."

That seemed to snap Parker back to reality. Letting the towel go, she grabbed a clean one and ripped it in half. Wrapping half around the wound and the other half to tie it tightly around the coverage, sealing the wound with the dry towels and stopping all blood flow.

He saw her snap back to reality and felt the pressure on his leg as she tightened the towel. "Parker?"

"What!" She snapped.

He jangled his wrists again, in front of her, "Please." But he knew it was too late.

"No! I'm sorry I shot you." She said softer as she moved to get her gun from the cart and hold on to it tightly.

"They are not necessary. I am not going anywhere like this. I couldn't even make it off the bed."

"Don't push your luck Jarod."

He stopped his reply before he got himself in more trouble. "Not as sorry as I am." He mumbled under his breath.

Bringing her gun up to his chest, she loaded another bullet into the barrel. "Careful Jarod, I heard that."

His confidence evaporated. He had always believed that she didn't have it in her to shoot him. But after that graphic and painful demonstration, he had to revise his game plan.

"Jarod?" Miss Parker asked as she lowered her gun and put the safety back on.

"What?" He snapped at her. The pain making him act foolishly.

"Forget it!" She snapped back. She went to go around the end to re-tie his legs, grabbing hold of the pantyhose.

"No, please."

"Lay down!" She ordered.

"Please don't do that. I am sorry. I didn't mean it. I can't go anywhere like this. It's not necessary."

Hearing Jarod plea hit at her heart. She had made him plead with her for not only his safety but so that he wouldn't hurt any more. "Jarod?" She asked again.

"Yes?" He asked in a subdued tone.

"Why do you always have to bring my mother into it and insult her memory?" She asked softly coming around to sit on the bed beside him, the gun resting on her lap.

"How can I not. You have just shot me and have me chained to a bed. She would be appalled." Jarod knew that he should leave this alone, but he just could not keep his mouth shut. "And it is you who insult her memory," He said in a low voice.

Standing from the bed, her movements were slow and predatory like. She held the gun to his chest, and glared fire at him.

Jarod shrank back under the glare. He knew he had said too much now.

She didn't trust herself to speak, she would snap and kill him if she did.

"Parker..." He began.

She couldn't force herself to pull the trigger, nor to look away. She was so furious! But her anger got the better of her, and she harshly backhanded him with the gun.

Jarod's head snapped, bouncing against the bed head, his lip bleeding. He looked at her and realised just how much he had hurt her by what he had said. "Parker, I... I didn't mean that." He tried to apologise through a rapidly swelling lip. He knew that he was in deep trouble now.

Her hands trembled with her rage and she holstered her gun and went to the foot of the bed, grabbing one ankle she managed to get it tied before going after his other foot.

But the pain in his leg, and the fear of being returned to the Centre was making him angry as well. He kicked out against her. "No!" But the action sent a shooting pain from his gunshot wound. "How can you do this to me!" He yelled at her.

She ignored him, as she always did when she didn't want to discuss the matter and finally managed to tie his other foot down, making sure he was pulled taut and the bindings were as tight as she could make them.

Jarod lay there, the pain throbbing in his leg, he struggled against the pantyhose, but he could not budge them. "She would hate to think that you were doing Raines' dirty work for him," He spat out at her.

"Ohhh no..." She growled, her voice sound like that of an angry and hungry tiger, she stalked closer to him, climbing onto the bed and straddling his waist. "Now I'm doing MY dirty work. I should have brought you in long ago, instead of making it easy for you. But you're at my mercy now, and you will pay."

"Easy?" He scoffed. "You have got to be kidding me! Are you just going to let me bleed to death?" He finally asked, truly afraid now. He needed to calm her down.

"Your wound has been tied correctly. The only way you'll bleed to death is by your other wounds." She hissed darkly.

Jarod struggled against his bindings "What other wounds?" He asked suspiciously. Getting more and more nervous by the second. He did not like the way she was looking at him.

"What? Are you admitting that your little 'adventure' was not easy?" She reached over to the floor where the hunting knife still lay.

He snarled at her, trying to shift her weight off him. "You people have made my life impossible."

Bringing it over to his chest, she sliced through his shirt, cutting a thin line down his chest. "Those wounds."

He closed his eyes as the knife bit into his chest. He could tell it was not a deep wound, just a stinging cut. He stilled his movements and drew in a long breath. "Please don't do this Parker. This is not you... this is more like..." But he stopped himself before he pissed her off even more.

"More like what?" She asked angrily as she placed the knife on a fresh part of his chest.

He shook his head and hissed in a breath as she placed the knife on his chest again. "Please," He whispered.

"More like what!" She growled loudly as she dig the tip in deeper.

He grimaced as she dug the tip in. "I'm sorry Parker." He tried to appeal to her. "I never should have said what I said."

"No you shouldn't. You are to leave my mother out of it. She's dead. Gone. Don't bring her up. She is MY mother, and mine alone. You have no right to talk about her!" She yelled, her hurt showing through despite her efforts.

Jarod could see how he had hurt her, and he had never wanted that. But he was glad that she had let the last statement go. He relaxed slightly, hoping that now she would get off him. "Yes, you are right."

"Damn straight I am!"

He nodded, his eyes not leaving the knife. "Please Parker."

She lifted it from the bleeding hole she had been working on and twirled it expertly in her hand. Just like she had seen Kyle do one time.

Jarod sucked in a breath as he was reminded of his brother, watching her twirl the knife like that. Resentment flowered in his chest over what these people had cost him. "Get off me," He huffed at her.

"And are you going to make me rat?" She purred leaning in close to his face, running the knife down his cheek.

He turned his head away from the knife. How could she do this to him? What happened to his friend? How could she be so cruel? She was no better than her brother. "Don't call me that."

"I thought we went over this when we first arrived. You are a rat. And soon will be MY rat."

"You are just as bad as Lyle," He spat out at her. "I guess it runs in the family." Instantly regretting it.


	4. Chap 4

Disclaimer: Don't own them, never will.

Authors note: This is co-written by Jaccione and myself, Onisius. I am sorry for such a long wait on this, butI have been in the middle of moving. Welcome all reviews, including flames.

Chapter five...

She stilled for a moment as the statement sunk into her mind. As rage hot as fire flooded through her veins, she swang the knife, bringing it across his chest repeatedly, slashing deep marks across him.

Jarod watched as she paused, afraid that he really had gone too far this time. He screamed as the knife hit him over and over. He writhed in a vain attempt to escape from the assault.

She just kept going, shredding his shirt as she made deeper cuts in his flesh. Tears were spilling down her face, and she was helpless to stop what she was doing.

"Parker!" He screamed at her. "Catherine!"

Parker froze at her mothers name and looked at Jarod with a wrinkled brow. "What?" She whispered in a thick voice. All anger gone for the moment.

Jarod knew that if he didn't get out of here soon, she was likely to kill him. "Parker please," He sobbed as he looked into her eyes. "Please stop." His chest was a burning agony.

She saw his tears, his pleas and backed up a little from him, sliding further down his body, still atop of him.

"Stop this please. I am sorry." He begged.

"No you're not." She whispered in a quiet voice.

"I am, I never meant..." He looked down at his chest. "Parker please. I have to stop the bleeding."

"You will live rat." Her anger returning. "I'm trained just like you are when it comes to these situations, and the bleeding is not life threatening."

Jarod closed his eyes and tried to think. He needed to be calm, he needed to calm her down. "Un-cuff me so I can at least have a look, and clean and bandage them please."

"Not a snowballs chance in hell. I learnt the last time I helped you. I'm not doing anything." And to prove her point, she straightened her back and shoulders, still straddling his lower waist and crossed her arms, knife still in hand and just looked at him.

"My feet are tied, I am not going anywhere." Then he looked at her confused. "Learnt what the last time you helped me?"

"You're only in it for you. You don't give a flying rats arse what happens to me."

"I have a bullet in my leg... what? How can you say that after all I have done for you?" His own anger returning now. "I even bought you a gift! What a fool I was."

"You're unbelievable. You're doing it again. Me, me, me." But she stilled at his last words, "A gift?" She asked suspicious but surprised.

"You people make it that way. I would be more than happy to be left alone. I haven't chosen any of this! Of course it's about me. You trying to catch me, trying to steal even more of my life! What the hell do you expect?"

The idea of his gift left her mind.

"Why can't you just leave me alone?"

"We wouldn't be chasing you if you stayed in your hole!"

"That is not MY hole. You have no rights to keep me there. I deserve a life too."

"Did you ever wonder what that special school your mother sent you to was for?" She asked coldly, changing tactics.

Jarod froze as she spoke. He started to shake his head violently. "No,"

"Don't kid yourself wonder-boy. You know what it was for, and why you were sent there."

"I was ahead of my class mates." He would not listen to her.

"It was your first year of school you idiot. Grade two and you were four. I'm surprised you didn't work it out before."

"Work what out?" He knew where she was headed, but he refused to believe it. "She could not have known."

"I think you'll find that Mr Raines has a file on it somewhere hiding in his office. She signed it, and the contract clearly stated what would happen to you." She said ice cold.

"Our mothers were friends, they were trying to bring down the evil that was the Centre, even now, MY mother is still trying, and yours would be too if your father had not killed her." He knew she was lying, had to be lying. His mother would never do that. Never.

"And I hate to admit it, but it was my mother that told her about this great school." The hurt was evident in her voice.

"How can you be so heartless?" He whispered, "You can't know that."

"Yes I can! I saw the god damn file! Do you think I was happy about it? My mother was the one to first suggest the Centre to your mother!" She yelled, hurt and anger mixed into one.

Jarod shook his head in denial. It could not be true. "You are lying," He hissed at her.

"I wish I were." She whispered back sadly as she got off of him.

"My mother never would have sent me there. They stole me. I remember it."

"That was so she had a story to tell the police Jarod."

He shuddered as the memory of that night hit him. As Jarod lay there, his chest and leg throbbing, he would not accept what she was telling him. It simply could not be true. "No, it can't be true. Why are you doing this?" He pleaded with her to take it back.

"Do you think I wanted to tell you this?" She asked hurt. "I wanted to keep it from you, protect you from it. I know what it feels like to have the truth shoved into your face and you don't want to believe it. When you're not ready or willing to accept it but know its true. I wanted to keep that from you, even after you caused me that pain so many times." But as she remembered all the times he forced her to see the truth, her anger returned, "How does it feel to have the truth you're not willing to accept to be forced onto you?"

"She would not have," He whispered. "You made it up." He shook his head in denial, tears slipping out of his eyes.

"Why would I?" She asked as she climbed back onto him, still holding the knife.

"She never would have, no, they stole me. My parents searched for me. The Centre lied."

"It was MY mother that caused all of this, why would I make that up?"

Jarod didn't care about her or the knife anymore. The magnitude of the lie that she had told him cut him to his very soul.

She shook her head, "Why would I?"

"To hurt me!" He hissed at her. "For all those times..." He trailed off.

"For all the times what?" She growled

"Your mother was a good person, you can't expect me to believe she convinced my mother to give me to your 'father'?"

"She didn't. At the time she thought they were doing good work, that it would help you and that you would be better there. She thought your mother and father would see you." Her heart was heavy with guilt.

Jarod was devastated at the implications of what Parker was telling him. It simply could not be true.

"How does it feel?"

Jarod collapsed back onto the bed, all the strength gone from his limbs. Even had he not been tied, he would not have been able to move. "How long have you...?"

"For quite a while, almost three years now." She admitted.

"Three years?" He whispered. "How did you...?" He closed his eyes wishing she would take it back. Wishing she would tell him it was a cruel joke.

"Find out?" She asked.

He nodded, not trusting his voice to speak.

"I stumbled across it while searching Raines' office for something about my mother. About one of the truths you forced me to see."

"She can't have known... she never would have agreed... they knew the whole time?" He whispered, the pain in his heart blocking out the pain from his chest and his leg.

She nodded sadly, wishing she had never told him.

He looked at her, pleading with his eyes for her to tell him it wasn't true, that it was all some kind of mistake.

"I did lie about one thing, to hurt you." Her heart was filled with pain and guilt.

"What!" He screamed at her. "Get off me," His whole body tensed, trying to throw her weight off.

She brought the knife down across his chest quickly again, cutting deep into his already bloody chest.

Jarod screamed. "What? What lie?" He had to know.

"About her playing along with your kidnapping." She hissed, "But that doesn't matter now." She said coldly as she slowly cut another wound, her anger rising.

Jarod fought to control himself. He wanted to kill her.

"And if you shout at me again, that gag is going back in." She threatened looking at the tie and sock on the floor.

He looked at her, and said in a very low voice, "Why don't you just cut my heart out while you are there?"

"Don't like it do you?"

He closed his eyes and turned his head away from her. Unable to believe that she could lie to him about something so important. Never once had he ever lied to her, deliberately hurt her like this.

Her heart almost broke for him. "Jarod." She said and waited for him to look at her.

Jarod kept his eyes closed, his head turned away. He was struggling to get his raging emotions under control. He had already said too many things he regretted, things that he should not have said.

Grabbing his jaw, digging her fingers in, she yanked his head around to her. "Open your eyes Franken-boy."

Jarod looked at her as his head was yanked around. "Yes Miss Parker?" He asked in an inflectionless voice. Jarod forced the tears back. He did not know if any of what she had said was true. If she lied about one thing, perhaps she had lied about the rest. He needed to get out of here and find out. The need to escape was pressing on him with even more urgency now. If he allowed her to take him back, he might never find out.

Her fingers released their grip, and her eyes and voice softened. "They fought for you. Margaret tried to back out of the contract once mom started to see that they weren't a safe place for children. She tried to keep you safe. But they got to you anyway. I'm sorry I lied about that, I never even wanted to tell you. I tried to protect you from the truth, like you tried to protect me from their lies." She apologised sincerely to him.

Jarod looked at her for a long time, trying to determine if she was lying again to him. He had thought he had known her, known the type of woman that she was. He looked into her eyes, and he was no longer so sure. Finally he nodded. "Thankyou," He said in a soft voice.

"Jarod, do you understand that I didn't want to tell you? That the only reason it come out of my mouth was because I was angry?" She was desperate for him to understand she didn't want to hurt him this way.

"Yes, I understand." He said gently as he nodded. He also understood that she had lied to him to deliberately hurt. He tired to push that fact down. "We have both said things today that perhaps we should not have. Things said in anger."

She nodded and climbed off of him and walked into the bathroom, her shoulders slumped.

Jarod watched her back as she walked into the bathroom. He tried to assimilate this new knowledge, tried to see how it fit in with the jigsaw pieces that he already have. If nothing else, it gave him a new avenue to explore. He tested his bindings again while she was gone, but for the moment he was stuck fast. He was going to have to keep his temper and watch his mouth from now on. He had said things to her that he should not have and he regretted that immensely, but he could not let her take him in either.

Parker looked in the mirror, she not only felt exhausted, and she looked it as well. Grabbing a hand towel, she ran it under cold water and wrung it out. Sighing heavily, she knew she should have kept the little titbit to herself. Taking the towel with her, she walked out.

Jarod followed her movements as she entered into the room.

Parker climbed onto the bed, placing the towel on the other side of her and took hold of the knife once more.

He looked at the knife hoping that she wasn't going to cut him anymore. His chest was a dull throbbing agony. "Please Parker..." He started in a low voice.

Miss Parker quickly and efficiently stripped Jarod of his t-shirt, ignoring his plea. But she was happy that he kept his voice low as instructed.

Jarod grimaces as she cut his shirt from him. "I should not have said what I said. Please..."

Placing the knife down next to her, she looked at the damage she had done to his beautiful chest and ran her hand gently over the still bleeding wounds.

He flinched away from her gentle touch. Hissing in a breath as she ran her fingers over the fresh wounds.

Biting her lip, she blinked back her tears. She had let her anger go too far. She had never hurt him before, never like this.

Jarod watched her as she fought with her emotions. He was afraid to say anything at the moment in case he set her off again. He lay there, still and silent.

Picking up the towel, which apparently Jarod hadn't seen or he wouldn't have begged her, she started to carefully wipe the blood away, making sure her touch was gentle, but firm.

Jarod flinched each time she touched him, but he was grateful that she was tending to his current injuries, rather than inflicting new ones. He was desperately thirsty now, and he would need to use the bathroom soon. Two things that he was reluctant to bring up while she was being so calm and gentle. "Thankyou," He said in a very serious tone.

"I-I didn't mean to hurt you Jarod." She apologised uncharacteristically.

"I know," He said softly, not taking his eyes from her. "I know."

"I don't think you do." Her voice was thick with the tears she refused to flow.

"Maybe not Parker, maybe I should not have not done the things I have done, maybe I should have let things lie."

She gently wiped away the few tears still on his cheeks, surprising herself with the action.

Jarod almost pulled back his head as she reached for him. But she gently wiped away his tears, surprising him with this gentle action.

"You're the only person that cares about me. I know you never mean to hurt me when you tell me things about my family. I just get so mad that you always interfere. I never wanted to tell you about your mother, I wish I could find someway to prove that it is all fake. You are the last person I wanted to hurt." And she couldn't help the tears that escaped from her eyes. She was shocked that that came out, even more so that it was inside of her at all. She had never thought in a million years that she wouldn't want to hurt him.

Jarod looked at her in surprise at her admission. "People care about you Parker. And I never wanted to hurt you, please believe that. All my life I have been surrounded by lies. We both have. I just thought we deserved the truth, to live our lives, not the lives that they have chosen for us. We can't do that without the truth."

"Did you ever think that I didn't want to know the truth?"

"No," He said honestly. "How can you not. And surely, some of it must have been good?" He asked desperately. "Her ring? Her letters?" Some of what he had given her must have made her happy. She must have wanted some of it.

She smiled at those memories, but her smile soon disappeared as she moved to the end of the bed, throwing the knife across the room in anger, in hurt.

Jarod was pleased that he was making some progress, but then her mood abruptly changed. He was not sure if this current bout of anger was directed at him, or at the knife that she had just thrown. Was she angry at herself for what she had done?

She brought her knees up to her chest, glad she was wearing pants and placed her head on her knees and moaned.

Jarod watched her, unsure whether he should disturb her or not. He wished his hands were free so that he could reach out to her. It was so rare that he saw her vulnerable like this and he wanted to show her that he cared. But he was held fast and could not move. Also his need for some water was getting worse, between the screaming and the pain, his throat was dry and hoarse. He knew he had suffered some blood loss and his clinical detached side was telling him that he needed to eat and drink something soon.

She lifted her head back and looked up at the ceiling, placing her hand on her stomach and rubbing the pain. Their fighting was wreaking havoc on her ulcer.

He wished again that he could move. He lifted his head up and watched her as she rubbed her stomach. "You should have some milk." He stated.

"I'll be fine." She said, forcing herself not to snap like she always did when someone tried to tell her what to do.

"Please Parker," He appealed to her.

"I'll be fine!" She instead as her face wrinkled as the pain intensified a bit.

He knew she hated being told what to do. "A little bit of milk will help enormously. Or some yoghurt even. There might be some in the dessert cart." He said, nodding to the cart of goodies he had not yet had the chance to fully investigate.

Knowing he wouldn't leave it be, she growled at him in hatred and annoyance and climbed off the bed, trying not to hold her stomach and searched the cart.

Jarod relaxed a little as she moved away. Despite everything, he did not want to see her suffer.

What do you know, wonder boy was right, yet again. She grabbed some yoghurt from the ice it sat on and took a spoon and sat back on the bed and slowly ate a few mouthfuls, glaring at him the whole time, before putting it back down.

He thought about his childhood friend, wanting her back so desperately, wondering if it would ever be possible. He pasted his trademark grin on his face as she ate the yoghurt, glaring at him the whole time.

And once again, he was right. It did help her stomach to settle, but she wouldn't tell him that only a few mouthfuls of the stuff he told her to eat did actually help.

"You should try and eat all of it." He suggested to her, knowing that he was probably headed for a legendary acerbic remark for his troubles.

Picking up the tub of yoghurt and looking at it innocently she asked, "This?"

He nodded hesitantly, not liking the way she looked at him.

"How about instead of me eating it..." She started as she moved closer to him, watching him the whole time.

Jarod tried to back away from her, but managed only a few centimetres. "Parker," He warned.

Parker smiled brightly as she saw his reaction, but didn't stop her movements. She got to his head and looked at it once more.

Jarod shook his head.

Smiling a brighter smile, she turned the tub upside down and shook out its contents over his head, and smeared it over his face a little with her hand.

Jarod closed his eyes as the cold yoghurt was smeared in his hair and on his face. He shook his head from side to side, trying to avoid it. Finally he stilled his movements in defeat, his tongue darting out to try and taste some of it.

Biting back her laugh, she saw his tongue dart out. Gathering some on her fingers, she spread it over his lips before sucking her finger dry, watching his reaction closely. This was more fun the actually hurting him.

As much as he hated himself for it, he sucked in what little he could. He had not eaten since breakfast, apart from a few cherry chocolates. She was enjoying this. But now he had this gooey mess all over his face and eyes and he found that he couldn't open them as the yoghurt was all gunked in his eyelashes. "Parker please," He pleaded, keeping his eyes closed.

"What?" She asked innocently.

He fought with himself so that his voice was steady when he spoke. "Please, I need to wash this off me, I can't even open my eyes." He said as reasonably as he could.

She shrugged, not like he could see it.

He tried to wipe his face against his outstretched arms, trying also to maintain control of his fragile temper. He could not afford another outburst.

But he did have a point. She had spread it a little far down his face, and she didn't want it to get it into his eyes fully, she would have a problem on her hands then. Grabbing the bloody towel and finding a clean part, she carefully rubbed his eyes clean.

"Thankyou," He blinked experimentally, satisfied that he wasn't going to get any in his eyes. But he did not fail to notice that it was still all in his hair.

Parker nodded simply as she threw the towel aside. She wasn't acting like herself, but she was starting to feel like she didn't have to be the ice queen with Jarod, and that was scaring her immensely.

Jarod was glad that Parker seemed to be relaxing a little. She had notched it down from deadly and dangerous to just playful, but still dangerous. He could feel the yoghurt setting in his hair and the smell would soon become too much for him to bear. He needed to wash it out. "Miss Parker?" He asked hesitantly. Not at all sure how she was going to react.

Her eyes snapped up to meet his, and she just glared at him, waiting for him to go on.

Jarod was not encouraged by her look. He nodded over towards the bathroom door. "I need... can I..."

She shook her head no.

His shoulders slumped. "It's becoming a matter of some... ahhh.. .urgency," He said, as his face coloured with embarrassment.

"Hold it then." She warned.

"Parker," He groaned.

Even though she was starting to get a little 'softer' around him, she did not trust him. "You're only going to go if I hold your hand." She said patronising him.

"Deal," He could live with that.

She looked at him for a long time. He agreed too quickly.

"Parker please," He tried again. "I have a bullet in my leg, and ,well, I wont be running anywhere for a little while."

He did have a point, but he wasn't going anywhere unsupervised. She got off the bed and walked around to his feet and untied them, keeping her eye on him.

He sighed in relief as she untied his ankles. He flexed his uninjured leg, but kept the other one still. He watched her carefully.

She took the cuff key out from her bra. She may have smaller breasts, but it was still a good place to hide things.

Jarod's eyebrows rose and he smiled broadly as she retrieved the cuff key. It would certainly be interesting if he had to retrieve that in the near future.

"Eyes up wonder-boy or you're not going anywhere, and wipe that smile from your face." She warned, but her voice held a strange playfulness to it.

Jarod concealed his smile as he took his eyes from her. "Yes ma'am." He said in a playful tone.

She had to smile at that. His playfulness always annoyed her, but it was somewhat fun today.

Jarod waited to see what her next move was.

She went over to his arms, and leant over him, if he wanted to play with her, she would damn well play back. Thank god she wore one of her most expensive red lace bras today, and a very low-cut suit jacket.

Jarod copped an eyeful as she leaned over him. He tried very hard to keep the surprised smirk from his face. He was just itching to... he pushed the thought out of his mind... with some difficulty.

She looked down at him discreetly, and she hard to force her laugh not to escape. He was turning red!

Jarod squirmed uncomfortably, her perfume overpowering.

She took her time to undo the cuffs, making sure she had to lean further over him, closer to his face to undo the second bracelet. She quickly snapped the bracelets back around both wrists, as they were undone.

Jarod choked back a startled breath as she was almost in his face. He did not even notice that she had undone the cuffs and then re-attached them.

Slowly straightening back up, she fixed the jacket and stared at him.

Jarod could feel the blood pumping in his face, and somewhere else, and he hoped she didn't notice. He slowly brought down his arms, concentrating on the pain there from being held in such and unnatural position for so long.

She raked her eyes over his body and just raised an eyebrow at him as she noticed one part.

Finally, he got himself back under control and tried to pull himself into a sitting position. "Parker, I won't try anything," He raised his cuffed hands and rattled them beseechingly.

"You made a deal genius," She stated simply.

"You said you were going to hold my hand. I may need your help to get there."

"So I did. Do you think you can handle anymore close contact though?" She teased as she pulled him to his feet.

"I give you my word I won't try anything." He tried appealing to her. He really was going to have trouble getting there like this. He ignored her last comment.

She saw him blush even though he made no comment on her remark. Grabbing his elbow, she pulled him forward.

Jarod almost screamed out as his injured leg took his weight. He hobbled forward awkwardly, grimacing with each step.

They were going to have to take that bullet out shortly, before any infections could start. She helped him to the bathroom, and placed him in front of the toilet, standing next to him, not letting his elbow go.

"Some privacy?" He asked, but he did not hold out much hope.

"I said I'll hold your hand, so don't push your luck, I could very well decide to hold your hand."

Jarod closed his eyes, blushing furiously. He lowered his jeans, which were still undone from when she had looked at his wound.

She was tempted to let him know she had actually seen him naked, but kept her mouth shut. She kept a close eye on him, not his face or chest, a little lower, not being able to resist.

Finally, trying desperately to ignore her presence at his side, he relieved himself and sighed. But he had never been so embarrassed in his entire life.

"Hands." She said as she flushed the toilet for him.

He presented his hands to her, hoping to get out of the damn cuffs now. She had had her little bit of fun.

"Wash them genius!" She growled.

He limped over to the basin and washed his hands thoroughly. "My hair." He said.

She looked at his hair, then the running water. Grabbing his neck somewhat gently, she pushed his head down under the water and rubbed her hands through the thick substance, washing it clean.

"Thankyou," He groaned as his chest hit the side of the basin.

Letting go of the hair she was washing, she turned the taps off.

"Parker, I really need to get this bullet out."

She raised her eyebrows simply at him.

"Please?"

She bent down carefully and searched the cupboards before pulling out a handful of supplies and taking hold of his elbow again, hauling him back over to the bed.


	5. Chap 5

Disclaimer; Don't own them, make no money and all the rest that you find in disclaimers.

Authors note; Once again, we are sorry for the wait on the chapter. For those that are not aware, this is co-written by Jaccione and Onisius. Hope you all enjoy.

Chapter five...

He groaned in protest as she hauled him back to the bed. It would have been better to do it in the bathroom with running water. But he kept his mouth closed for once. He had not even had a chance to slip something to pick the locks with. His eyes fell forlornly on his belt, lying across the room and his bags that had any number of things, if only he could get to them.

Throwing him unceremoniously onto the bed, she quickly re-cuffed his hands over his head.

"Parker," He groaned as he found himself re-cuffed to the bed head before he even had a chance to react. The pain in his leg throbbing from his hard landing on the bed.

She took hold of his ankles and swang him so he was lying down completely again before she walked down to the end of the bed and waited for him to give her his legs.

He thought briefly about fighting her, but he knew it was useless. "Please, I can't go anywhere, that's not really necessary is it?" He was almost begging and he hated himself for it.

She crossed her arms and raised a perfect eyebrow, saying nothing.

He sighed heavily, and shifted his legs into position. He shook his head sadly.

Parker took hold of his wounded leg and tied it tightly before walking back around to the supplies she had dumped on the ground.

He was surprised that she had only tied one leg. And then he realised that she was planning on taking the bullet out herself. "Parker no, you can't do this. Please. Let me do this." He struggled futilely.

"Do you want the other leg tied?" She warned darkly.

"No," He answered quickly, breathing heavily. "Please Parker, I'm a doctor, I can be a doctor. Please let me do this."

"Are you going to keep talking like this?" She asked flatly.

His head flopped back on the pillow in defeat. But he did not want her doing this.

Smiling at him triumphantly, she pulled his pants down to his ankles.

His hands clenched in the cuffs in their impotence to do anything.

Sitting on his lower legs, she took off both towels and looked at the wound. It was smeared with blood and turning blue and purple with bruising.

He lifted his head and tried one more time. "I give you my word that I won't try anything..." He started. "Parker, you know I have never lied to you. Never."

Growling in anger, she got up and took the gag from the floor and shoved the socks back into his mouth and tied it with the tie tightly.

Jarod growled in fury as she shoved the sock back in his mouth. He tried pleading with her, but only muffled noises came out.

When the gag was secure, she sat back on his legs and looked at the wound.

He looked at her, trying to plead with his eyes. Moaning as she sat on his legs, he writhed, trying to dislodge her. He shook his head back and forth, but the gag would not come out.

Glaring dangerously at him, she asked, "Do you want me to screw this up?"

He stilled himself and looked at her. Finally he shook his head.

She took a gauze and soaked it in antiseptic, wiping the blood away.

He wanted to scream at her to leave it alone. He lifted his head trying to see what she was doing. His eyes opened wide as the antiseptic hit his wound, and his breathing hastened. He could not breath through his mouth, so he was snorting in heavy breaths through his nostrils.

She took out the long pair of tweezers and looked at them strangely, "I wonder if I need to sterilize these?" She asked herself, but looked discreetly at Jarod through the corner of her eyes.

He nodded furiously. Hoping that she could see him. _Oh please sterilize them_ he was thinking.

"I'm sure it wouldn't do much damage if I didn't." And she placed them near the open wound.

He bucked his entire body, trying to get her attention.

"Oh relax wonder boy. I know what I'm doing." She shot at him.

His head sank back onto the pillow, exhausted. For a moment, he concentrated only on his breathing. This was going to hurt, and hurt very badly. He tried to find that place that allowed him to block out most of the physical pain he was about to experience. Parker was going to do what she was going to do, he realised that all his protests were in vain. He closed his eyes and forced his body to relax.

Parker reached over him and took the gag out.

He gulped large breaths. "Thankyou,"

"I hear one sound from you, words or otherwise, it is going back in. Understood?"

He nodded rather than answer.

"Good."

But he did not think he would be able to keep quiet through this.

She got up and walked over to the bar and poured three glasses of vodka.

He watched her pour the drinks, biting back a comment about her ulcer that automatically sprang to his lips. He could only hope one of them was for him.

Gulping one down, she placed the tweezers in the other and took the last to Jarod. "If you think you can drink this laying down, you can have some." She offered.

He nodded. Lifting his head as high as he could, straining his shoulders and arms, bringing up his free leg to offer his lower body some support.

Holding the glass to his lips, she poured it down his throat slowly. She could only imagine the burn it would cause from how slow it was going down his throat.

He forced himself not to choke on the burning liquid. But he scrunched his face up. He knew that it would do nothing but increase his thirst, but he would deal with that later.

Parker had to laugh, she couldn't help the distaste on his face.

"Thankyou," He whispered, afraid to say much more.

She let that one word go, "You're going to need some more after this."

He nodded in acceptance. Fighting the urge to try and argue with her one more time.

Sitting on his legs again, Parker took out the sterilised tweezers and pushed it through the flesh. The vodka on it would burn like nothing else.

He tensed himself against the pain and concentrated on his breathing. A hiss escaped his lips as the tweezers hit his flesh. He tried to SIM what she was doing to distance himself.

Parker growled at him warningly. "Jarod, I said no noises. Not one." Using his name, she knew it would pull him out of the SIM she knew he was in.

He kept his eyes closed tightly, trying hard not to make any noise. His breathing increased rapidly as she pulled him out of his headspace.

She twisted the tweezers around in his leg, pushing it in deeper.

"Ahhh," He moaned, turning his face into his outstretched arms. He forced himself to stay still, biting back the screams as she moved around inside, looking for the bullet.

Pushing them in further roughly, she scolded him, "What did I just tell you?"

He bit his shoulder to stop from screaming again. What the hell did she expect from him?

Seeing him stay quiet, she went on. Five minutes passed, and still nothing. This wasn't a good sign. She knew what she was doing, she had done it on herself quite a few times.

He was panting, trying to manage the pain, but as she dug deeper, he couldn't help it. A loud moan escaped, despite his best efforts.

Her worry overtook her anger. "You sure there's no exit wound?" She asked him concerned.

He looked up at her. He tried to shrug, too afraid to speak. He did not know. He had not had the chance to touch it, let alone inspect it properly.

She slipped her hand under his leg and felt for another wound and bit her lip when she found none.

Finally he could stand it no longer. "What's wrong?" He asked.

Getting off of his legs, she grabbed his free leg and flipped him over onto his stomach, seeing both lot of restraints dig deeper into his flesh, his arms twisted painfully.

Jarod cried out as his battered chest hit the bedcovers and his injured leg twisted painfully.

Grabbing the knife from the floor across the room, she dipped it into the vodka before sitting back on his legs.

He struggled to get his head out of the pillows so that he could breath. He could no longer see what she was doing. "Parker?" He called urgently

"Stay still." She ordered. She pressed around the back of his leg, feeling for the bullet.

"What are you doing?" He had no choice but to stay still, the way his arms and leg was twisted. "Owwww," He howled as she pressed on his leg.

"Quiet. Now." She barked, as she pressed a little hard onto his leg.

He thrust his face in the pillow to muffle the scream that ripped from his throat as she pressed even harder.

"Gotcha." She smiled as she felt the bullet.

He moaned as she pushed and felt around. Trying very hard to stay very still, he forced himself to relax again, and think about his breathing.

Taking the knife, she took a deep breath. "Stay very still Jarod. I can't afford you moving and screwing this up."

Trying to SIM what she was doing, he closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

She pushed the knife down into his flesh hard, stabbing his leg and creating a new wound.

He screamed into the pillow as he felt her cut into his flesh.

Taking the knife back out, she wiped an antiseptic-covered gauze over the wound, clearing the blood away.

He panted heavily, waiting for the next step. Not being able to see what she was doing, he was visualising it in his mind. He only hoped that she had cleaned everything thoroughly

Dipping the tweezers back into the vodka, she pushed them into the hole.

He moaned loudly into the pillow again, forcing himself to stay still.

It took less then a minute to get the bullet, but she lost grip of it and growled angrily as she once again forced them back into the wound.

Wishing it were over soon, he didn't know how much more he could take before he passed out. "Parker," He groaned, "What are you doing?" But his voice was muffled by the pillow. If he passed out now, he had no chance to escape before they got here. So despite the tempting urge to submit to the blackness, he fought it, clinging on to consciousness.

Taking a firmer hold of the stubborn bullet, she yanked it out quickly before she could lose it again. Putting the bullet and the tweezers back into the glass of vodka, she sighed softly.

Jarod screamed loudly into the pillow as she finally ripped it out of him.

"How are you doing Jarod?" She asked him gently.

He lifted his head, "Just peachy." He said before he dropped his head heavily back onto the pillow, trying to get his breathing back to normal.

"The genius cant even think of his own lines." She shot back. Taking the bottle of antiseptic, she poured a small amount into and over the wound.

"Ahhhh,"

"Shhh." She snapped.

He closed his eyes, trying to hold in the moan that he wanted to make.

Taking some more gauzes, she wiped it clean before applying a thick cream and taping it up correctly. Climbing off of him, she gently rolled him back over, careful not to make the fresh wound worse.

Jarod moaned as his chest peeled off from the covers, but he was glad not to have his arms twisted so painfully anymore.

She quickly did the same to the entry wound, taping a gauze over it when she finished cleaning it.

He knew that there was fluff and lint in his chest wounds and he was not looking forward to having them cleaned either. "Did you get it?" He finally asked when his breathing was a little steadier. But his voice was weak and trembled.

Untying his ankle, she pulled his leg up, so it was bent at his knee. "Would I be taping your leg up if I didn't?"

"Ahhhhh," He winced as his leg was moved up. He decided it was prudent not to answer that question.

Taking a bandage, she quickly and professionally wrapped his leg up before lowering it back down.

He sighed as she lowered his leg. It was throbbing like crazy and he desperately wanted some painkillers.

Looking at his chest, she took the tweezers and the antiseptic and gauzes and sat on his lower waist.

He tried to shift away from her as she moved towards his chest.

"Do you want me to shoot you again? Just so I can go through all that to remove the bullet?" She threatened.

He let his head slump back and closed his eyes tightly again, trying to brace himself from what he knew was coming.

"Better."

He snorted at her, but said nothing.

She gently removed all of the pieces of fluff from his wounds, trying to not hurt him too much. But hearing the snort she 'accidentally' slipped and watched as the tweezers ground against the open flesh.

"Ahhhh," He moaned and writhed, biting back a demand for her to please be more careful.

Hearing the moan, she 'slipped' again, but said nothing.

He opened his eyes and glared at her. She was doing it deliberately!

She stared him down, fire burning in her eyes.

He opened his mouth and then thought better and closed it again. But he let her know clearly with his look what he thought about this.

She continued to gently pick out the pieces of enemy objects from his chest, glaring back at him. "Better be careful how you look at people who are tending your wounds rat." She growled darkly.

He tried to control the small moans that escaped his lips. He screwed his nose up at her comment and turned his head to the side. How he hated being called that!

She smiled coldly at him as she continued the treatment. When she was satisfied she had taken everything out, she unscrewed the bottle and slowly poured the stinging antiseptic over his chest, listening to it hiss and sizzle.

"Ahhhhh," He failed to hold back the scream as the liquid hit his chest. It felt like it was on fire. He thrashed his head from side to side trying to escape from the intense pain.

She lost her temper and backhanded him in fury.

Jarod hardly even noticed her hitting him, the pain in his chest was so intense. He kept his eyes screwed tightly closed while he waited for it to subside.

Taking the glass of vodka, pulling out the bullet, she poured it over his wounds as she warned him to stay quiet or it would only get worse.

He tried so hard not to make any noise, but it escaped nonetheless. "What are you doing?" He panted.

Parker hissed in fury as she dug her fingers into the larger lacerations.

He thrashed against the cuffs, trying to escape. Moaning and hissing, he finally tried to still himself as the stinging of the vodka wore off. He was breathing as if he had just run a marathon.

Pulling her nails from the wounds, she glared at him. Picking up a gauze, she roughly wiped clean his chest and proceeded to tape more gauzes over his wounds.

He tried to bite back the moans as she roughly dressed his chest. But he was exhausted now, and little more than noises from the back of his throat made it past his lips.

Sitting back to inspect her work, she nodded to herself.

He finally opened his eyes and looked at her through his own glassy eyes. She seemed rather pleased with herself. He felt like hitting her. He tried to keep his face neutral. He did not want to piss her off again.

Climbing off of him, she went back to the bar and poured herself a scotch and downed it before pouring herself a second glass and nursed it.

He tried to wipe the sweat from his brow as he watched her drink a scotch. He frowned, her ulcer had been playing up only a few hours ago, and drinking would not be helping the situation at all. And he feared what she might be capable off if she got drunk.

Gulping down the last of her drink she poured another one and walked over to Jarod, sitting on the bed next to him.


	6. Chap 6

Disclaimer: Don't own them. Simple as that.

Authors note: Alright now, the reviews submitted for the last chapter were very mixed. I am happy that some people liked it, but I agree with the others that said it was very ooc. This story has been written and finished already and when I went over it again, I realised how very ooc Parker was, but couldn't change it because the story had been written already. For that I apologise, and I am sorry for the readers I have turned off of this.

Chapter six...

Jarod looked at her, he had not spoken yet. The pain had subsided to a dull agony, but at least it wasn't the burning agony of a few minutes ago.

Placing the scotch on the bedside table, she took out the cuff key from its spot and un-cuffed his hands, re-cuffing them in front of his body.

He sighed gratefully as he flexed his shoulders. "Thanks,"

She ignored his words as she pulled him to sitting position.

He moved his hands down to his leg, realising that he was practically naked. He tentatively pressed the wound, grimacing as he did so.

"How stupid are you?" Parker asked in something akin to amusment.

He pulled his legs up, trying to reach his jeans.

She couldn't believe he just added pressure to his sore leg. Slapping his hands away, Parker glared at him.

He tried again to pull up his jeans, ignoring her glare. He was not going to sit in front of her practically naked.

She grabbed his hands and held them close to her. "Unless you want to be tied back down, I'd leave them be."

"Parker..." He started as she grabbed his hands. "I'm cold," He protested lamely.

"The heating is set at 25 degrees, you're not cold."

"I could be going into shock," He tried to reason.

"If you were going into shock, you wouldn't be stating it," She shot back.

"Why can't I have my pants? And what about a shirt?" He asked.

"Because I don't want you to have them." She said simply as she raked her eyes up and down his body.

He didn't like the way she was eyeing him up and down at all. He tried to shift back away from her. "What about some water? I need some water please?" He tried changing tack.

Parker kept a firm grasp on his hands. Keeping him from moving too far. With one hand, she reached down and yanked his pants off from his feet and threw them across the room.

He groaned and curled his lip as his jeans went flying. Trying to pull the cuffs from her grip, he gave them an experimental yank.

She fell forwards a little before she yanked his hands back to her viciously.

"Ahhh," He moaned as she pulled on his wrists, hurting both his wrists and his chest.

"Stay." She barked.

"I need some water please Parker." They had been here for hours and he had had nothing more than a mouthful to drink.

Letting go of his hands, she walked the few steps to the cart and got him a bottle of water. Unscrewing the cap, she handed it back to him.

"Thankyou," He took the water happily from her, gulping it down. He tried to shuffle down closer to the edge of the bed, so he could sit more comfortably.

"Did I not just tell you to stay?"

He closed his eyes. "Sorry," He muttered, with something he hoped approached sincerity, but he resented being ordered around as if he was a dog.

Taking one of the apples from the cart, she walked back over to Jarod, sitting on the bed next to him, she handed it to him.

"Thanks," He said, this time with total sincerity. He bit into the fruit, relishing its crispy sweetness.

Smiling a small smile, she nodded. Glancing around the room, she saw his duffle bag and went over to it.

Jarod quickly ate the apple and froze as she went over to his bag. "What are you doing?" He asked. Hoping she was going to get him some clean clothes. He had to fight the urge to get up and get them himself.

Searching it, she pulled out a pair of track pants. Pausing, she dropped the pants back into the bag and turned around. "What is in here you don't want me to see?"

"Nothing! It's just... it's mine. It's rude to go through peoples personal things,"

"You mean like my mothers things?"

"No," He stiffened. "If I had something, I would tell you." He said, a little offended. "I have never kept anything from you."

She glared at him, "You know that's not what I meant."

He shifted as he realised what she had meant. "There are things there that concern my life too," He tried to defend himself.

"It is still not your things to go through, regardless if it concerns you or not."

Jarod looked down at the apple core in his hands. She was right. But so much of it concerned him, and he did not trust that Parker would tell him if he just handed them over to her. "Well there is nothing very exciting in there," He shrugged.

Glaring angrily at him, she grabbed the pants and stormed over to him and shoved them into his hands.

He took the pants and started to try and get them on. He tried to stand in order to get the pants on.

Parker shoved him back down roughly.

"What?" He growled at her. "All I am doing is trying to get them on."

Pushing him into a laying position, she ripped the pants from his hands and easily pulled them up over his legs and over his hips. Ignoring the fact that her hands had touched a few places that they shouldn't have.

"How far do you think I could..." He paused and his breath caught as her hands brought the pants up over his legs and hips. His face coloured again and he looked away.

She smiled down at him, actually flattered. It always made her feel good when a man blushed because of her.

Jarod was mortified by his own reaction, and her smile made it even worse. He wished he had a shirt on. He felt so vulnerable like this, so exposed.

She saw the look on his face and sat next to him, a bit to close for his liking she was sure.

Jarod shifted a little uncomfortably. She smelt so good. He was not sure what game she was playing now.

"What's the matter Jarod?" She purred.

"Nothing," He almost stuttered.

Climbing over his hips, pinning his hands over his head, she lent in close, "You sure now?" She asked, grinding her hips slightly into his. How she loved teasing men, this one was no exception.

Jarod struggled to pull his hands from her grip. Her weight was pressing on his wound, but it was the pressure somewhere else that he was most concerned about right now. She was going to drive him crazy. "Parker," He breathed.

"Ohhh..." She pouted. "Aren't I good enough for you genius?" She whispered into his ear.

He wanted desperately to kiss her. As her breath tickled in his ear, his entire body shivered.

"Well?" The drinks making her head a little light.

He turned his head, trying to get his lips closer to her.

"You aren't answering me." She said softly as she pulled back slightly to look at him, hurt was glistening in her eyes.

"Parker," He breathed again, his head lifting, trying to follow her. He had forgotten what her question was.

She looked at him sadly as she climbed off of him

He tried to reach out for her, grabbing her arm. "Don't go," He whispered.

She paused as he touched her, not sure if she was angry or pleased.

He knew he should not be doing this, knew she was a little drunk, but he couldn't stop himself.

"What?" She whispered. He had hurt her deeper than she thought he could. Simply not answering her, not saying she was good enough for the almighty pretender had hurt her.

He looked at her and pulled her back down, cupping her face gently between his cuffed hands.

"Don't Jarod..." She couldn't handle another rejection.

He ignored her and lowered his face gently to hers.

"No..." She whispered as she turned her face.

He held a little tighter, he did not want to let this moment slip by. "Parker," He breathed again. "I have waited so long for this," He brought his lips down on hers in a gentle kiss, waiting to see if she pulled away again.

She fought herself, she wanted this, but years of training were telling her no and know she was thinking more clearly, her mind was paying more attention to the thoughts in her head.

When she didn't pull away, he deepened the kiss, giving himself to it completely.

She stayed still, not knowing what she wanted. She wanted him so badly, wanted to be loved like Tommy loved her. But she was terrified.

Jarod could feel her anxiety, but he did not let her go.

It wasn't the playfulness she was using before, this was real. She felt herself relax a little and kissed back.

But Jarod pulled back from the kiss. He wanted it so badly, but not like this. She had been drinking.

She watched as he pulled back. He didn't want her. She turned away as the tears started to gather and she stood up.

"Parker," He called as he tried to stop her from standing up.

"What!" She snapped, not meaning it.

He looked at her sadly, reaching out for her.

"No!" She cried. He had hurt her, once again.

"Please Parker," He urged. He started to stand, to try and pull her back to him. He was not sure if she was upset with him or herself.

"What?" She said standing still.

He stood and moved closer to her, damn the cuffs, he wanted to embrace her. He brought his hand up to her face and brushed it gently down her cheek.

She lowered her eyes, fighting back the tears. No one had touched her like that for a very long time.

He moved a little closer, tilting up her chin gently, bringing his lips down to kiss her again.

She wanted to pull away, but found herself accepting the kiss.

He pulled away briefly so he could move his hands behind her back, and then found her lips again. Melting against her body, he gave her a passionate kiss, forgetting everything in the moment.

Parker was helpless to pull back and she found herself kissing him.

He could hardly believe it. He had dreamt about his almost his entire life. He pulled her closer, and then moved his mouth down to nuzzle behind her ear, murmuring her name.

Hell, if she were going to do this, she would do it correctly. Ducking out from his embrace, she stood back from him.

Jarod's eyes opened as she escaped his embrace, he was breathing heavily. He nearly lost his balance, as she was no longer there to support him.

She reached into her bra and pulled out the cuff key.

He lifted up his hands, not taking his eyes from hers.

She undid the cuffs and watched as they fell to the ground.

Jarod grabbed her gently and guided her over to the bed.

Parker pulled away from him and stepped back, not sure if she wanted this now.

"Parker," He moaned, stepping forward to her, reaching out.

She put her hand up to still him.

He reached out and paused. He looked at her and took a step closer. Leaning down he said her name, "Parker." He wanted her so badly he didn't think he could stop now. But he would never force her. He would die before he hurt her like that.

She pushed him back a little.

Jarod looked up, hurt and confusion in his eyes.

She looked him up and down before looking at his face. Staring into his eyes. Reaching out, she touched the mole under his eye and smiled softly.

He closed his eyes at the gentle touch and smiled. Finally he opened them again, thinking that his heart would break if he couldn't hold her right now.

Parker fought back the tears.

His hand reached up and took hers. He brought it to his lips and kissed her palm. He brushed away a tear from her eye with his other hand.


	7. Chap 7

Disclaimer; So sick of doing this, everyone knows we dont own the Pretender.

Authors note; WARNING contians sex scenes. I do not know if this is to strong for ratings, if anyone has a problem, please e-mail and I will remove the chapter. And please, if you are under 18, stop, go back and do not read this just to be on the safe side.

Chapter seven...

Smiling softly at him, her smile soon turned dangerous as she pushed him back onto the bed.

Jarod gasped, unsure whether this was part of the game, or he had pushed her too far.

Grabbing the end of his pants she pulled them from him and threw them away.

He lay still as she divested him of his track pants, propped up on his elbows, he didn't take his eyes from hers for one second.

Her eyes twinkled mischievously as she walked around the room and turned the stereo on. Coming back to stand in front of him, she started to sway her hips.

Jarod relaxed and smiled at her. He wanted to make this perfect.

She moved hear body slowly as she undid one button of her jacket at a time, taking it VERY slowly.

He watched as she slowly undid her jacket. His mouth was dry and he resisted the urge to get up and help her.

Three buttons were undone, one more and it would be off and he would get more than the eye full he had before.

"You are beautiful," He whispered.

She paused, "No, I don't think I will do this." She said flatly.

"What?" He groaned.

"Well, you're all battered and bruised." She shrugged doing one button up.

He was struggling to sit up.

She moved onto another button doing that up. "Such a shame." She moaned as her hands brushed against there breasts

He reached out to her, pulling her down so that she was sitting next to him "They are just scratches."

"So you're brave now are you?" She laughed.

He pulled the sleeve from her shoulder, planting a kiss on it.

"Uh uh, no touching." She pushed him away as she stood back up.

He looked at her, almost pleading.

She started to sway to the music again, undoing the buttons once more, slower this time, agonising slow.

_No touching?_ He thought to himself… she was going to drive him completely insane.

She got do to the last button again and undid it, keeping the jacket closed. "Jarod?" She asked pausing, looking at him.

"Mnnnn," He said.

"How much do you want this?" She asked softly.

He looked at her. "More than anything." He barely whispered. It was something he had thought about, but had never imagined he would ever get. So close at Ocee's, but not even a kiss.

She lowered her eyes, gaining as much courage as she could get, she asked, "How much do you want me?" She wasn't sure he would hear her, she felt the fear clutching her heart. What if he wants just the sex, and not her? She would die.

"I have wanted you my entire life," He said with absolute honesty.

She smiled at him, tears falling from her eyes. She slowly slipped the jacket off to reveal her red lace bra and waited for him to turn her down. She was expecting the rejection at any minute.

He moved forward, his hands trembling.

Slipping out of her pants, only in high heels and underwear she stepped closer to him.

He traced the line of her bra down from the shoulder to her cleavage, barely touching her skin.

She leant into the touch. She loved the way he was so gentle with her.

He pulled her to him, his hand pushing the strap off of her shoulder, planting a feather light kiss where the strap had been. He gathered her silky hair up in one hand and kissed her neck where it meets her shoulder.

She panicked. Her fear making it hard for her to breathe. "No!" She shouted as she stepped back.

Jarod looked up in shock, "Parker, what's wrong?"

"I can't!" She cried out as she stepped further from him.

"Did I hurt you?" He asked alarmed.

"You cant hurt me." She whispered

"Never," He agreed.

"I hurt you! I don't deserve you!" She wailed. "You deserve better then the ice queen." She didn't know what was going on with her, she wanted this, wanted him. But all she could think of was the pain she had put him through.

"Parker," He pulled her gently back towards him.

How she broke his heart about his mother. "No..." She whispered but didn't move from him.

Gathering her hair up once more, he put his lips to her shoulder and traced a line of kisses until he gently bit her ear. "Don't think so much," He said to her.

"But..." She whispered, "You deserve better. Some one that would settle down with you, that wouldn't shoot you."

With his hand he gently traced the line of her bra. "Shhhh. I don't want anyone else," And he traced a line of kisses down her neck to the hollow of her throat.

She wanted to protest. He did deserve better, but it felt so good, and all she could get out was a deep moan.

He gently lowered her onto the bed and straddled her. He sunk his head to her belly button, licking circles around it, while gently caressing the line her bra made with her skin.

Parker lay on the bed, unable to say anything, do anything. For some one that has only slept with two women, he was pretty damn good.

He kissed lower, just to the top of her panties, but then moved his attention towards her neck again.

Parker groaned in protest.

He reached behind her back and fumbled with the hook. Gently sliding her bra from her, his mouth descended onto a breast. Taking it, he teased her nipple with his tongue and her other one with his hand.

"God..." Parker groaned, grabbing his hair as she arched her back.

He let her nipple go and moved down to tease the tender flesh on her inner thighs. Gently biting and kissing his way from her knees up one leg and then down the other. His hands roaming over her stomach in gentle caresses.

"I'm going to shoot you again if you keep swapping like that!" She moaned in frustration and pleasure.

Jarod lifted his head and smiled. "Promises," And then he went further down and, slipping her shoes off, kissed the sensitive arch of her foot.

"Damn it, where is my gun!" She threw her hand around trying to find it laughing.

Tracing kisses up her leg and then down the other back to her foot. "Hush, be still."

"Make me!" She laughed as she crawled out of his grip.

He grabbed her legs and pulled her towards him. "There is no escape," He moved up, both hands grabbing her breast and massaging them ever so gently.

"I don't think I want to escape," She tried to say, but it turned out more like a moan.

His mouth went back to her belly, leaving kisses and gentle bites all over.

She laughed as he tickled her with his mouth. Throwing her head back, she hadn't laughed like this since Tommy.

He brought his mouth up to he neck again, sucking at the hollow of her throat, worshipping her, his hands sliding up and down her lovely arms. "Close your eyes."

She looked at him in suspicion, but closed her eyes nonetheless.

He dropped a kiss on each eyelid. And then moved down and kissed her lips very lightly.

Grabbing his hair, she held him still as she opened her eyes and brought her mouth to his and kissed him passionately. Light wasn't what she had wanted, so she deepened it more.

Jarod loved the way she tasted and he kissed her back.

Smiling as she kissed him, she flipped him over.

He could feel his need burning now. He lay on his back and looked up at her. It did not surprise him that she liked to be the aggressor.

Kissing each of his palms like he did to her, she chewed gently chewed his earlobe.

Jarod closed his eyes and breathed in her scent.

She moved down his neck, planting soft kisses back.

He traced her spine with one of his hands he moaned in pure pleasure.

"Hands." She slapped him away.

He dropped his hands obediently. Ohh but he wanted to touch her, to hold her so badly. They were practically twitching at his sides.

She worked her way over his collarbones, licking and biting gently.

He couldn't stand it any longer, groaning, he grabbed her waist.

She worked her way down to his chest only to pause when he grabbed her. "Hands!" She ordered louder.

He dropped them again, moaning loudly. "Parker please, I have to touch you," He whispered.

Smiling, she skipped his chest, "No." She mumbled as she moved to his sides, kissing and bitting gently, seeing if he was ticklish as her hair fell around his skin.

He squirmed as her hair brushed him, he was dying to touch her.

Moving down to his hips, she brushed her bare breasts against his skin and moaned in her own pleasure.

He fought the urge to grab her and toss her over. He was writhing in earnest now... not sure how much longer he could stand this sweet torture.

She kissed his hipbones sticking out under his hipsters before moving down to his legs like he had done to her, never losing contact.

His hands reached for her hair, stroking it.

Her hands were playing with his nipples, careful not to touch his wounds, as her lips travelled his body.

"Please," He moaned, begging.

Getting down to his feet, she looked at him as she sucked on his toes seductively. Hearing his plea, she made her way back up to his hips, and slowly slid his underwear from his hips and threw them aside

Jarod sucked in a breath as she pulled away his pants. He wanted her so badly.

She sucked at his inner thighs, slowly making her way up to him.

His breathing stopped as she moved her way forward.

Looking at him as his breath stopped, a little concerned, she opened her mouth and took him, deep throating him expertly.

Jarod thought he might die. He moaned out load in pure pleasure. He had never experienced anything like that in his entire life. His hands reach for her head.

Her hands played with his balls gently as she moved up and down on him, enjoying his moans.

He thought he might die from the sheer ecstasy. "Ohhhh," Was the only sound he could make.

Coming up for air, she laughed before she went down on him again, using her tongue as well, twirling it around him as she sucked, doing the best job of her life.

He was panting now, not able to hold on for much longer. But he didn't want it like this. He wanted it to be for her too. He pulled her up gently. "Parker," He moaned.

She shook him off, "No, this is just for you." She went back down, taking him all in, ignoring the choking feeling she felt.

He traced circles up and down her back and let himself be lost in the pleasure of the moment.

She could feel him twitching, he wasn't far off, and she moved faster and bettered her technique

Finally he came with such force he thought he might truly die. His heart was beating so fast, it was hammering in his chest.

She felt him come in her mouth, and she swallowed for him before licking him clean and smiling at him

He looked down at her, pleasure glazing his eyes. "Parker," Was the only thing he could think to say.

She smiled at him as she started to kiss his skin once more, making her way up to his mouth where she kissed him deeply.

Jarod grabbed the back of her head and kissed her as if his life depended on it.

She laughed against his mouth in joy. She was glad she hadn't backed out of this, and she kiss back just as fiercely.

When he got a little energy back, he rolled them over so that he was on top of her. Breaking finally from the kiss to come up for some air, he started making his way down her body again.

Her face was flushed slightly and she pulled him back up to her mouth.

Roughly massaging her breasts, he bit gently on her lip.

Moaning, she kissed him. Nothing else mattered to her at the moment. The world could be ending and she didn't care.

He slid a hand down and worked off her panties.

She looked down at her feet and could not remember when Jarod took her shoes off.

Teasing her, he slid a finger down, but barely touched her, just enough to arouse.

Arching, she bit his lip when he teased her

He pressed a little harder, sliding further down.

Parker hissed a breath in in pleasure. She hated that he was teasing her like this, but god she liked it.

He broke the kiss and took a breast in his mouth, flicking the nipple with his tongue. He slid his finger in deeper.

Parker arched so much, she thought she would break something, gasping in short shallow breaths as he teased her.

Teasing her mercilessly, he switched breasts. Using his other hand he grabbed her buttocks kneading them.

"Jarod...!" She cried as he only teased her more. Two could play at that game. Reaching over him, she grabbed with one hand his arse like he did hers.

He lifted his head and asked innocently "Yes?"

The other reached under a little bit awkwardly and started to play with him once more. "Don't be so cruel," She moaned in pleasure.

"Hands," He growled, taking his finger out to slap them away.

Pulling a puppy dog look, she looked into his eyes and sulked.

Ignoring her, he moved further down the bed, out of her reach and took her with his tongue. Working her furiously, his hands on her hips pinning her tightly to the bed. He could feel that he was almost ready to go again and he brought her to the edge and then stopped.

She arched even further off the bed and grabbed his hair, holding him there as she gasped. She looked at him hatefully as he stopped. "Where's my gun when I need it!"

He moved up again, laughing at her and gently lowered himself onto her, careful to support his weight so he didn't crush her.

Wrapping her arms around his shoulders she kissed him hard.

He kissed neck as he moved inside ever so gently.

She tightened her grip on him, frozen for the moment.

He started up a gentle motion, slowly building up, breaking from the kiss, he moved his mouth to her neck as he nuzzled there.

Parker's eyes teared up. He was so gentle with her.

He was breathing heavily now, he lifted himself up so he could looked into her eyes.

She clung to him desperately. She started to move again, matching his moves, but never stopped looking at him.

He started thrusting more quickly, more urgently, but being very careful not to be rough with her.

Tears slipped from her eyes as she stared at him.

He leaned down and kissed her tears.

Clutching onto him for dear life, she whispered in his ear, "Jarod, you're beautiful..."

Kissing her eyelids and the tip of her nose before he claimed her mouth again.

She matched his moves as they went faster, but she never once let him go. She kissed him back as he met her mouth. How did she get him? He deserved so much better than her.

Jarod thrust deeper, losing himself in the moment, he pulled himself away from the kiss so he could look at her as he came deep inside her, smiling in bliss at her. "Mia!" He screamed out her name

Parker sucked in a breath as he came in her, shortly before she did. She moaned loudly in ecstasy, hearing her FIRST name, she went over the edge and screamed out Jarod back

Jarod slumped down beside her, brushing his hands through her hair.

Parker stared at him, amazed by this man. Why did she never see it before? He was so gentle, caring, beautiful, amazing.

He picked up her hand and kissed the tip of each finger before turning it over and kissing her palm.

She smiled sweetly at him, her normally ice blue eyes sparkling warmly.

He could hardly believe it. And that smile was so beautiful. He so rarely ever saw her smile and was absurdly glad that he could make her smile.

Snuggling into him, careful of his wounds, she hugged him tightly as she laid her head next to his neck. "Thank you." She whispered sheepishly

He stroked her hair and laughed.

She bent her neck and looked at him in confusion

He was not quite sure what to say. "You're welcome,"

"You really are an amazing person Jarod."

"Thankyou," He said with all sincerity. "You are wonderful."

"You're welcome " She shot back. She smiled warmly at him.

He laughed at her again. It was so very good to be able to laugh with her. He wanted desperately to tell her that he had loved her since they were children, none but her. But he didn't say the words.

She snuggled back into his neck, enjoying his warmth.

Instead, he just traced circles on her arms with his thumb. If only they could stay like this forever.

"I'm sorry." She whispered, close to sleep.

"What for?" He asked, looking down at her. For a moment he froze in fear that she was sorry about this.

"For everything." She whispered sadly as she fell to sleep in his arms, safe for once.

He closed his eyes against the memory of Kyle, not wanting that to intrude on the moment. He kissed the top of her head gently and listened to her breathing.

Jarod looked down at her sleeping form, wishing that they could stay like this forever. But he knew it was only a fantasy. The sweeper teams she had called would be here soon. He wanted desperately to sleep nestled into her warm body, to wake and her be the very first thing that he saw in the morning. To make slow and languorous love to her as he worshipped her body. For her to smile at him the way she had just recently. He knew that he would sleep deeply next to her, untroubled by dreams.

But it was nothing more than a fantasy. If he allowed himself this, he would pay with his freedom, and as much as he wanted to stay, he knew that he could not. He could not live if they took him back to The Centre. He could not look at her, knowing that she was responsible for his return. Would his feelings slowly turn cold and grow to hatred? Would she feel guilty? He wondered. Jarod was not naive enough to believe that one night of lovemaking would undo all the past between them. He resisted the urge of running his hands all over her body, not wanting to disturb her.

When they had been children, he had always imagined that they would be friends forever. As he looked at her beloved features now, he wondered where things would go from here. If only things were different. If only he could stay. If only she could come with him. He sighed heavily. Neither was ever going to happen. He could not stay and he could not ask her to risk herself by coming with him.

But a dark voice in his head was telling him that when she woke, she would regret this 'moment of weakness' and he could not stand one more rejection. He could not cope with it if he saw regret or dismay in her face. He wanted this memory to be perfect. It wasn't that he was afraid of capture at all, the voice insisted, he was afraid that she would look on what happened here with disgust.

He took her from his chest and placed her gently on the bed. He got up painfully and made his way to his clothes, dressing silently, his eyes never leaving her. He hoped she would understand, but he feared that he was doing something that would damage them and any slim chances that they ever had irrevocably. He sat down on the edge of the bed and cried. Silent tears slipping down his face for all the time that they could not share together, for the hurt that he knew she would feel when she woke to find him gone. He sat there unwilling to move, hoping that she woke up, hoping that she would take the choice away from him, hoping that she would chain him to the bed again, just so he could be close to her for a little longer. Hoping that she would tell him to go, and be safe, so that they could sneak moments here and there in the future.

"Parker, I wish things were different," He sobbed. But things weren't different. She didn't love him and even if she did, he was not free, neither was she. He could only bring her pain.

Steeling himself for what he knew was his only option, he finished dressing and gathered his gear together, placing it by the door. She moaned and stirred, smiling in her sleep and his heart almost broke in half looking at her. He was not sure that he would survive if he walked out on her now. But then he had a vivid image of Sam sweeping in through the doors, with Lyle hot on his heels. He was back, cuffed to the bed with Parker and her cool smile, gun pointed directly at his heart.

Realising that things could only end one way if he stayed, he gathered up her clothes and placed them gently beside her. Retrieving a robe from the bathroom, he gently wrapped it around her. She moaned as he moved her body and his breath caught, but she did not waken. Finally, he retrieved the cuff and locked one around her wrist. He moved her arm gently up to the headboard and locked the spare bracelet around a rod. He knew that she could get out of them by dislocating her thumb and he made sure that it was loose enough not to give her too much trouble. Placing her phone on the pillow next to her, he gently covered her with a sheet and blanket.

If the sweepers came before she woke, it would look like he had overpowered her and escaped, not putting her in a compromising position. Placing the key on the dressing table, well out of reach, he sighed looking at her. He knew it was likely that she would not forgive him for this, but he could see no other solution. But he did not regret it, not for one second would he change anything that had happened between them. He only hoped that she felt the same way, that she understood that he was acting now in her best interests, trying only to protect her.

He wanted so very badly to leave her a note, to explain his absence, but he did not dare risk it. If the sweepers came before she woke, he shuddered to think of what might happen to her if they found out. So once again he found himself in a position where he was forced to hurt her to protect her.

He bent down and risked on more kiss. Kissing her ever so gently on her slightly parted lips, he finally turned his back on her and gathering his few things, limped out the room. He knew that sweepers could be here at any moment. Leaving half his heart and soul behind he left, regretting the need for it with ever fibre of his being.

Parker woke to the warm sun shining on her face and smiled happily as the memories from last night flooded back to her mind. Opening her eyes lazily, she looked across from her and gasped as she noticed that Jarod was not there. Feeling the sheets, she was horrified to find them cold.

Bolting upright, she screamed when her wrist was yanked back against the metal of the cuffs. Looking around desperately, searching for him, hoping this was all a joke, she couldn't stop the tears as they slid down her cheeks.

"Jarod!" She called, kneeling up on the bed, swinging her head around frantically trying to find him.

Her eyes fell to where his duffle bag and DSA play… gone. She looked down at her body, which should have been bare and found herself wrapped up in a bathrobe.

Why did her leave her? She fell back onto the bed as sobs wrecked her body.

He had said he had wanted her his whole life. That he has wanted this since forever. And he just left her here like this. He had only used her to get away. He had never cared about her. She was right, no one cares about her. And he just proved her point.

How could he do that? Did he not have any idea how much trust she had put into him last night? How much she had loved it? How much she had wanted it to never end, for him to stay with her? And he just left her in the middle of the night, and not even a note to say good bye.

She slammed her fist into the mattress as fury over took the hurt. Angrily, she dislocated her thumb and slipped out of the cuffs, before putting it back in place.

Climbing of the bed, she found her gun and got dressed.

How could he hurt her like this? He had promised never to hurt her. And he just hurt her in the worst possible way. Tears over took her anger once more, and she fought to keep her emotions under control as she walked back to her room. Slamming the door shut behind her, she walked over to her bag and used the excuse of applying her make-up to stop her crying.

She would never allow anyone close to her again. Didn't she learn her lesson after Tommy? She had trusted Jarod with her heart and soul, and did something that terrified her, and he killed her. Stomped on her heart and threw it in the bin. Never again.

As the armour of her ice-queen façade come back over her fragile heart, she vowed never to get close to anyone, nor for them to get close to her. She would never let Jarod into her soul, or heart, ever again.

The End


End file.
